1 – You Are In Love – Taylor Swift – As my own personal Taylor Swift backlash continues unabated, I so regret she lost her balance and became removed from the world she created and I guess I’ll feel that way till I see her on stage next week. Meanwhile, this song, written for Lena Dunham, reminds us how though the world has changed her, it hasn’t infected her songwriting – A
2 – Come – Yuck – This is Yuck? Art-pop beauty, I wonder why the album didn’t click with a wider audience – B
3 – The Valley – Miguel – The soulman modern Prince wannabe has released what might end up being one of the best albums of the year, here he gives Prince a run for his penis with this discombobulated triumph – A
4 – What’s Normal Anyway – Miguel – Gorgeous ambient outsiderdom – A-
5 – 4 My Dawgz – Tyga – I think we miss Lil Wayne. so much every time we hear that deep throat slider voice we flip out – A-
6 – Into The Sun – Bassnectar – the light here, near the beginning, is dazzling light and the shadows are muted, when you expect it to explode, to drop the bass, it just digs deeper – B+
7 – Short Movie – Laura Marling – I think I am putting this back on my very best of the year list, if only for the violin – A
8 – Sophia – Laura Marling – One of the most remarkable songs of her career, this one put her in Joni Mitchell territory – A+
9 – TMZ – “Weird Al” Yankovic – The “You Belong With Me” is an uproarious and sadly accurate putdown of the Paparazzi – A
10 – State Of Grace – Taylor – It felt like a transition to adulthood, but now it also feels like a goodbye to so much we loved about Tay… That’s from back in the notes where we got told what her new Facebook wall was and she friended us – A
