On Seventh Tree, Goldfrapp ditch the glam and decadence of their past two albums and go flower power. With brass, autoharps, woodwinds and drum loops, "Little Bird" and "Cologne Cerrone Houdini" evoke the mellotron nostalgia of "Strawberry Fields Forever," while "Happiness" could fit seamlessly into a modern rendition of Hair. It may take some getting used to for fans who discovered the duo while discoing, but their turn from platform glitz to barefoot chic is beautifully underlined with an Air- and Sia-like downtempo-folk that accentuates Alison Goldfrapp's soaring sultriness. Editor: Stephanie Benson
Hubbard's trumpet sings all over this 1970 release. His solos and melodies bridge the hard bop style of the preceding years, while the funk backbeat and myriad styles set the tone for the fusion experiments that would follow. The title track is the one to beat -- it's a zig-zagging masterwork of funkiness and tight composition. Bassist Ron Carter tears it up on this LP. Editor: Jon Pruett
The title track is Tony's best chart-topping ballad, while the majority of the album lightens up the strings (judiciously employed by George Siravo) to concentrate on Bennett and Ralph Sharon's jazz quartet. Tony introduced Bill Evans' "Waltz for Debby" as a vocal standard here, but every track is a standout (including "Autumn Leaves" and "A Walk A Little Faster"). Of all of Tony's work from the 1960s this one stands up as his single finest -- and most unified -- album. Editor: Nick Dedina
The garage scene in Memphis has long valued substance over style, kicking out artists in the orbit of the Oblivions that were more melodic and less postured compared to their scrappy proxies on the national scene. Jay Reatard's collected singles -- originally issued by Matador in increasingly limited 7-inch vinyl -- wears this tradition with a skuzzy arrogance, slapping together '50s pop with the tinny snarl of '70s punk. From soup to nuts, this is a basement rock 'n' roll rager, with particularly memorable moments in "Painted Shut," "Hiding Hole" and "An Ugly Death." This version contains live cuts from Jay's performance at Rhapsody Rocks NYC. Editor:
The Berlin-based, universally appealing !K7 label had one heck of a year in 2008, putting out a raft of albums that teased the margins of electronic music across tech-house, downbeat narco-soul and even big-band jazz. Featuring deep, brain- and body-engaging material from the likes of Cobblestone Jazz, Swayzak, Bomb the Bass, Quiet Village, Henrik Schwarz, the Herbaliser, the Matthew Herbert Big Band and Carl Craig (in his rare remix of Beanfield's "Tides") this comes across less like a label sampler than a mixtape from a friend. Editor: Philip Sherburne
The idea of Kanye West singing (with help from Auto-Tune) for a whole album sounds like a disaster because, well, he can't sing. Surprisingly, it works thanks to the sincerity and vulnerability he displays while crooning about losing his mother and breaking up with his fiancee, the album's central topics. West's production here is much darker than in the past on tracks like "Welcome To Heartbreak" (featuring Kid Cudi) and the witty "Robocop." Although some will pray that his love hangover ends soon, most will appreciate a successful attempt by one of the best rappers alive to stretch hip-hop's creative boundaries. Editor: Toshitaka Kondo
Ironically, 2007's all too literally titled Blackout was a more exhilarating return to form than Britney's true comeback, which feels sort of subdued. This is not necessarily a bad thing for our girl. Circus tries out, among other new flavors, moody Grey's Anatomy-ready ballads and retro campiness (the fab "Mmm Papi" -- don't miss it). Even the straight-up dance tracks seem calmer, more collected, different (with the exception of the fourth and fifth tracks). In short, Britney is going in new directions. (Cue sigh of relief from the California court system.) Editor: Rachel Devitt
When Beyonce goes schizo -- dividing her musical persona into balladeer Beyonce and club diva Sasha Fierce -- she is certainly organized about it. She dedicates the first side to the 'Yonce persona and the second to Fierce. Both halves are great. The gorgeous, sweeping "Halo" displays her incredible range and knack for squeezing pathos from stone, while the second half's "Diva" offers Fierce a chance to strut through Bangladesh's stuttering production while proclaiming, "Diva is the female version of a hustler." Editor: Sam Chennault
