Top 25 Albums Of 2007: #5-#2

#5: What A Heart Is Beating For by Chris Rice
Chris Rice has proven himself to be one of the top writers around over his past two discs. Amusing started the trend in 2005, giving Rice the #10 disc of the year that year. What A Heart Is Beating For continues the trend this year and gives Rice an even better posting in 2007. Rice focuses on love in all forms on this disc and does a great job with the subject. So Much For My Sad Song starts the disc off on an upbeat note, discussing the beauty of God's world and how it can really ruin a sad song. You Don't Have To Yell talks about getting your point across without being a jerk. A new version of Lemonade finds it's way on to the disc as well. But the highlight of the disc has to be Here Come Those Eyes, Rice's song devoted to that special someone who is very good at taking his breath away. Overall, this love disc does it's job well and puts the listener in a better mood than they were when they began the disc. Strong songwriting mixed with strong vocals and great music give this disc a Top 5 showing.

#4: Remedy by David Crowder Band
These next four discs all deserve the top spot for various reasons, yet only one of them gets the honor. Once again, David Crowder Band falls short of the top spot solely because of bands that put together absolutely amazing offerings. Remedy continues to prove why Crowder is the top worship act around right now. The band's versatility in their songs is astounding for a worship disc. Tracks like Glory Of It All and Everything Glorious give the disc's slow sides strong showings, while the "fun" tracks like ...Neverending... and We Won't Be Quiet do it loud and proud (And the addition of Ted Nugent on We Won't Be Quiet only gives the band even more credibility on the musical side). Every track is a highlight, and the band does well with another old school hymn with O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing. But, if you have to pick just one song on this disc to get, it has to be Never Let Go. A slow, understated track musically that builds into a strong ending, this track has it all. And this disc has it all too. There is no debate after a disc like this: Crowder is the top worship artist around today.

#3: Even If It Kills Me by Motion City Soundtrack
Motion City Soundtrack came back very strong in 2007. Commit This To Memory was an excellent disc that offered the listeners some very catchy tunes with few flaws. Even If It Kills Me kicks it up a notch, with a flaw very difficult to find on this disc. It is a complete disc, full of a wide range of emotions and sounds. It's another disc where every track is a highlight, making the disc a must-have. Tracks like Broken Heart, It Had To Be You, The Conversation and Can't Finish What You Started all let the disc go strong, and the listener is rewarded with a strong finish to the disc from the title track, with the last thought the listener is given being the last thought we will leave this review on: I so want to get back on track/And I'll do whatever it takes/Even if it kills me.

#2: Five Score And Seven Years Ago by Relient K
Relient K pulled off an epic of a disc in 2007 that very nearly took the top spot. In fact, it was back and forth almost the entire year between this disc and the disc that hit #1. Nevertheless, Five Score And Seven Years Ago is, far and away, Relient K's best and most complete disc to date. Forgiven is an incredible piano-driven rock song, while Must Have Done Soemthing Right has a very pop sound that got some heavy airplay this year. But the singles are just one tiny part of this disc, with tracks like Come Right Out And Say It and Give Until There's Nothing Left highlighting the disc. But it is the epic 11-minute journey at the end of this disc that really pulls everything together. Deathbed takes the listener on a journey through the life of a man on his deathbed who did a lot of stupid things and lost a lot of major parts of his life, yet "clings to his hope of the life in the next." The song is eight minutes in before the instrumental break, yet you don't even know it's been that long while listening. And ending the song and the disc off with a brief appearance from Switchfoot lead singer Jon Foreman and a finishing line of I Am love completes the song and the disc as a whole. This is definitely a must-have disc that nearly took #1 for the year but settles instead for a strong showing at #2.


#1 is coming up shortly.