Like Winehouse's 'Back to Black,' producer Mark Ronson's handiwork elevates this CD.ĩ. But you'd never guess that by listening to her charming debut, buoyed infectious ska-pop beats and wry lyrics. 'Alright, Still,' Lily Allen: Lily Allen doesn't have the greatest voice and is not much of a stage presence, as her live performances this year bore out. 'As I Am,' Alicia Keys: Though it's not a perfect album, it contains perhaps three of the most perfect songs you can find in pop today - 'Wreckless Love,' 'Lesson Learned' and the slow-jam piece of ecstasy otherwise known as 'Kiss Me Like You'll Never Kiss Me Again.' And thankfully, unlike her past albums, most of the other songs on 'As I Am' are strong enough to make you want to listen to the CD in its entirety, instead of cherry-picking the best tracks.Ĩ. Plus, he gets extra credit for that whole 'Trapped in the Closet' saga.ħ. But how can it not be when the rest of the songs are so crazy and so good? When you can make a prison visit a must-listen-to groove ('Best Friend'), you are truly creating the stuff of genius. Kelly: Given the nonsense that permeates one-third of this disc, 'Double Up' shouldn't even be on this list. West's use of techno beats give some tracks a more experimental-sounding vibe, but it's his always clever rhymes that make you listen again and again.Ħ. 'Graduation,' Kanye West: Truth be told, 'Graduation' is actually West's weakest album - but when you consider the first two, 'The College Dropout' and 'Late Registration,' were nothing short of brilliant, it's OK that this one rates as just very, very good. Irglova's sweet voice is the perfect accompaniment to Hansard's raspy vocals - they don't need much else, and the simple production of just a piano here or guitar there makes the music even more intimate than the touching lyrics convey.ĥ. The same could be said about its wonderful soundtrack. The 'Once' soundtrack: 'Once,' starring Marketa Irglova and the lead singer of The Frames, Glen Hansard, was the perfect romantic movie that flew under mainstream radar.

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