so i walked right up to you...

Rolling Stone named Radiohead's Hail to the Thief one of the 50 best albums of the year. They have this to say about it:

"Hail wasn't exactly Radiohead's anticipated return to rock; instead, the band simply turns down the volume on the electronics and lets the songwriting drift to less chaotic, more atmospheric realms. But on the singles "There, There" and "Go to Sleep," the album comes into scary focus: guitars swell to arena-worthy crescendos, supporting songs that demand repeated exposure to reveal themselves. And on this past summer's tour, Radiohead proved again that they're the best band in the world."

They also had the good sense to choose The White Stripes' Elephant:

"Once again, less is more. The White Stripes' fourth album takes the breakthrough of 2001's White Blood Cells to a place that was both musically adventurous and in keeping with the duo's spartan, retro aesthetic. Constant touring has paid off: The quiet tracks are just as intense as rockers such as "Seven Nation Army," and Jack and Meg White play as if their hands were attached to the same body."

Finally, they also picked The Raveonettes' Chain Gang of Love:

"Thirteen concise tracks of solid-gold distortion and street-corner-angel harmonies, the full-length debut by this Danish duo is ferociously modern pop with a nostalgic twist: nostalgia for an alternate world where the Shangri-La's were bigger than the Beatles, the Ramones ruled Top Forty radio in the 1970s, and the Jesus and Mary Chain always kicked Van Halen's ass on the charts."

Those are my picks for the top three albums of the year, not necessarily in that order!