Urban Junkies | Music | Best of 2007: Top Ten Essential Albums

If Santa isn't sure what to give you this Christmas, write him a nice letter and ask him to chuck some of the year's top albums, as recommended by Rob Wood, down the chimney...

Burial - ‘Untrue’
Whilst everyone was pogo-ing around to punk-funk, dub-step was making some extraordinary and intoxicating noises. In fact this was one of the most beguiling albums of the year.

King Creosote - ‘Bombshell’
The King of Scottish folk made a bigger but no less brilliant sound with a new feisty country rock album laden with golden hooks.

Various artists - ‘The Very Best Of Ethiopiques’
Ethiopian jazz and funk might not be within your normal hearing range, but this is an infectious compilation that documents the link between North Africa and The Godfather James Brown.

Feist - ‘The Reminder’
Nobody makes leftfield pop music quite as good as singer-songwriter Feist. ‘The Reminder’ simply sparkled with charm.

Orchestra Baobab - ‘Made In Dakar’
Senegal's cult band got as funky as hell with a newly beefed-up brass section doing wonders for their Afro-ska-meets-calypso sound.

Roisin Murphy - ‘Overpowered’
Great disco hooks, acid squelches and sassy vocals galore from the ex-Moloko songstress.

Alela Diane - ‘The Pirate’s Gospel’
Noted for placing the perfect melody exactly where it lodges under your skin, the drowsy voiced Diane made another wonderful collection of acoustic songs.

Underworld - ‘Oblivion With Bells’
Warm, textured and undeniably groovy electronic dance music from an old pair of reliable hands.

New Young Pony Club - ‘Fantastic Playroom’
The ‘now’ sound of 2007 was all about the punk-funk and these guys were the best of the punk-funk bunch.

Tinariwen - ‘Aman Iman’
All the way from the deserts of Mali, this album and their mesmerising live shows captured the hearts of all who heard their resonating blues-rock.