My 5 Biggest Rating Regrets of 2007

I hope you're sitting down while you're reading this, because I'm about to drop a bomb so huge that it could very well change your perception of reality itself. Are you ready for it? Here it goes...sometimes I make mistakes. Did I just blow your mind? Well it's true. Sometimes my initial reaction to an album is a bit off from what it should be. Maybe the album is really strong the first week or so, but after a while it starts to annoy me. Or it could be the other way around. I'm sure you all know the feeling. With this in mind, today's list (the final Top 5 Friday of 2007) is the top 5 regrets I have when it comes to rating music in 2007. Enjoy!

#5: Dntel: Dumb Luck - Original Rating: 6/10 -- Adjusted Rating: 5/10 - Jimmy Tamborello's long awaited follow-up to his 2001 album Life Is Full of Possibilities was disappointment that I didn't see coming at all. I am absolutely enthralled with all of Tamborello's work under the Dntel moniker; even the seldom heard demos and rarities. It's all great glitch electronic music. But Dumb Luck didn't even try to recreate any of the magic that its predecessors had achieved. Originally, I gave the album a 6 out of 10 Stars rating because I felt there were a few quality songs on the album and Tamborello's work as a producer was stellar. Since then, I can't say I've listened to the album once (I've listened to his older ones more than anything else). The songs are just downright boring despite Tamborello's producing skills. If this was an instrumental album, it would be pushing an 8 out of 10. But because it's a "Hey, look at how many friends I have" album, it winds up earning a 5.

#4: Architecture in Helsinki: Places Like This - Original Rating: 7/10 -- Adjusted Rating: 8/10 - I can't begin to explain to you how much I love this album and how much that surprises me. Architecture in Helsinki was never a band that I could get into, but Places Like This, is absolutely enchanting from start to finish. For me, at least. I've actually read very little from other people that would suggest that my feelings are universal, and the more I read the more I realize I just may be alone in my admiration for it. But the fact remains that this is the most fun I've had listening to music in a long, long time. It's the kind of album that gets me pumped up and puts me in a good mood no matter what. Listen to it at your own risk, and expect something entirely unique (and confusing). It originally got a 7, which is a good score, but I'm giving it an 8 because now I know it's better than that.

#3: The New Pornographers: Challengers - Original Rating: 7/10 -- Adjusted Rating: 8/10 - More than any other album in 2007, Challengers has grown on me. The first time I heard it I quickly hit the stop button because what I was hearing was not what I expected. A few weeks later I listened a bit more and could say that I liked the first 5 songs or so. By the time I reviewed the album I liked all but 3 songs. Right now, I like them all. So much, in fact, that I'm debating whether or not I should just come out and say, "It's better than Twin Cinema" (I'm withholding that statement for the time being). I just listened to Challengers again yesterday, and I'm convinced that it will only continue to get better as I listen to it. I can't wait!

#2: Bjork: Volta - Original Rating: 8/10 -- Adjusted Rating: 6/10 - If anyone reading this actually went and purchased Volta based on my suggestion alone, I'd like to extend my deepest apologies. Volta isn't exactly awful, but it's far from great. Let's call it average. It's average. And for a Bjork album, that's not really what you want to hear. The album has it's moments, like "Earth Intruders" and "The Dull Flame of Desire," but it's far from Vespertine or Medulla. Of all the CDs I bought in 2007 (which is a lot), I regret this purchase the most. I think I've only listened to it once since I bought it (on the day it released). That's not a good sign.

#1: Charlotte Gainsbourg: 5:55 - Original Rating: 9/10 -- Adjusted Rating: 4/10 - If my review of 5:55 has taught me anything, it's to not rush out a review and a rating. Sit on it. Think about it. Then rate it. Honestly, I have no idea what I was thinking when I reviewed this album. I make the comment that Gainsbourg can actually sing, when in reality she spends most of the album whispering into the microphone. The instrumentation is great, and the lyrics are pretty impressive too. The problem is that she's not responsible for a single bit of that. Her contribution to the album is limited to that half whisper that's cool for all of 5 minutes! That puts her lower than M.I.A. in my book. Now there are some decent songs on 5:55, including "AF607105" and "The Operation," but there's also a lot of nonsense going on. It's just mediocre enough for me to call it bad. And like I said, I have no clue why I gave it a 9 out of 10 Star rating. I promise to never be so flippant again. You have my word on that.