An article by The Silent Ballet Staff

50) Aerial | The Sentinel
Sweden

Nomethod Records

Described as a perfect mix between Sonic Youth and Mono, Sweden's Aerial are boxing clever with the release of The Sentinel. These youths have their sights set on glorious post-rock composed of incandescent movements of fuzzy, undulating fretwork interspersed with an occasional wistful vocal. The latter is especially noteworthy, as it at times ventures with shoegaze/indie rock territory while not sacrificing one ounce of the vitriolic instrumental background. Grandiose and majestic, the album is a work of color and light with riffs and flurries crisply interweaved in a sublime symphony of noise.
(James Crossan)

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49) Carta | The Glass Bottom Boat
United States

Resonant Label

There is an overwhelming sense of clarity which pervades this album in such a way as to make it impossible to believe that this aspect of Carta's music did not have any influence on the choice of the record's title. The clean guitar tones which form the backbone of most of the songs are enviably mellifluous and FX-free, cymbals shine sweetly without disrupting the mix, and every part of the album's progression seems wonderfully calmly-measured. Directionless this is not. When Sarah Bell's vocals make their one and only appearance in the title track, their Sandy Denny-esque clarity is once again the most noticeable feature, and I am fighting off a fearsome phalanx of 'clear as a bell' puns in trying to describe them. With the release of their follow-up "An Index Of Birds" lined-up for early 2008, I see nought but good things ahead for Carta.
(Fred Bevan)

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48) Kiln | Dusker
United States

Ghostly International

I don’t really understand how it’s possible for something so electronic to sound so natural. It shouldn’t be possible. Though crafted through thoroughly digital methods, Dusker is an ambient-esque album that seems to breathe right along with the listener. No, actually, that’s not quite right. Dusker breathes, certainly, but it’s more the slow, steady, swelling breath of a beloved pet dog asleep in front of the fireplace which infuses this album. Kiln offers up 52 minutes of electronic-organic (electrorganic, perhaps?) bliss. Put on some headphones and give “Colorfreak” a listen – it’s amazing.
(Tom Butcher)

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47) The Bird Ensemble | Migration
United States

Self-Released

Cute correlations between band and album names aside, Migration is an incredible journey that The Bird Ensemble invite you to participate in. Crafted as a single song, tastefully split into 8 tracks, Migration is everything a post-rock band should strive for in its music. The interplay between the soft and loud sections approaches brilliance. The former are so much more than the trite little melodies, treading water before the inevitable climax we see all too often; the latter are powerful and boisterous without falling victim to the “let’s just pile on more distorted guitars” approach. By the end of the album, you’ll feel like you’ve single-handedly flown to Mexico – and you’ll be ready for that return trip.
(Tom Butcher)

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45) Redlightchamberchoir | We're In Trouble But We Don't Know What to Do
United States

Self-Released

Red Light Chamber Choir create a stunning narrative as We’re in Trouble But We Don’t Know What to Do progresses. The robust narrative that is nurtured on the album travels from frantic and dark to cheery and hopeful and pulls the listener along for the journey. The cohesiveness of the album creates a unified story as the individual songs speak to each other and create a path to the end. The varying instruments add as much variety in texture as variety in emotion. Slide guitar, synths and cello round out the traditional rock backline and mold the emotions with their disparate tonal capabilities. The rich textural elements and varying moods make this album standout from the drone.
(Greg Norte)

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45) Lights Out Asia | Tanks and Recognizers
United States

n5md

After the critically acclaimed Garmonia, expectations were high for Lights Out Asia's follow up, the oddly titled Tanks and Recognizers. The album picks off where the last one left off, promoting a timid electroambient sound of padded synth and shimmering guitar, complete with ethereal vocals. With tracks like "Ring of Stars" and "March Against the Savages," it's difficult to resist being pulled into Lights Out Asia's spellbinding music. Although not much has changed for the trio in the past four years, the popular adage rings true: if it's not broken, don't fix it.
(Lee Whitefield)

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44) Motoro Faam | ...And Water Cycles
Japan

Preco

In the spirit of otherwise electronically inclined experimental acts such as Underlapper, World’s End Girlfriend, and Kashiwa Daisuke, Motoro Faam have used as their palette an assortment of unique production methods and original ideas of sound design. Tagged as a concept album, the work powers through its theme of cycling water with gusto, and opens the door for more abstract concept albums of its ilk. As long as they live up to the high precedent set with ...And Water Cycles, Motor Faam should be on the long road to greatness.
(Jack Britton)

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43) Mt. Fuji Doomjazz Corporation | Doomjazz, Future Corpses!
Netherlands

Ad Noiseam

Doomjazz Future Corpses! is a droning, deep, and beautiful album, seeping bile and sanguine confidence from every pore. The Mt Fuji Doomjazz Corporation has crafted a devastatingly creative work of lively and unconventional drone. Much like the related works of the Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, this album can be difficult, but if you master the depths of Fuji’s spiraling psychosis, you will be greatly rewarded. It doesn't take much to see that something special is brewing underneath the surface here, give in to the doomjazz rave.
(Jack Britton)

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42) No.9 | Good Morning
Japan

Liquid Note

Good Morning combines the affinity and skill in laptop programming displayed by World's End Girlfriend with a pop sensibility, creating tracks that are as catchy as they are creative. Each track brings a new element to the table, treating the listener to a kaleidoscope of elements, shifting and changing in style and structure enough to leave even the most hardened of listeners tapping her feet and even dancing about the room (with the door closed, of course). Tracks like “Shift” demonstrate an affinity with progression that most artists struggle vainly to emulate, and an interweaving of instruments that forms an intoxicating tapestry of sound. No. 9 masterfully arranges his vision to maximum impact, making any morning spent with this album a good one.
(Zach Mills)

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41) Invert | The Strange Parade
United States

Self-Released

You think you know string quartets? Pretentious snobs that write somber, haunting pieces of music and sneer at the audience from their castle of musical theory, you say. Well, then you don't know Invert. The quartet takes those fancy music degrees and actually enjoy themselves, creating imaginative works that leave your toes tapping, at the very least. Don't think the artists must be less skilled than their more depressing counterparts; the album is the essence of precision and collaboration, utilizing each instrument to the maximum effect and creating a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. The Strange Parade is truly an album that those who are “bored” with the neo-classical scene (as well as those who can't get enough of it) simply cannot afford to miss.
(Zach Mills)

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