All Of Me – Estelle – Four years after "American Boy", the English r&b star is back with an album about relationships replete with sketches between some of the tracks. Romance is fine and while I find the constant a little obvious, this is a well sustained and detailed series of provocations on the art of love. Grade: B+
Love At The Bottom Of The Sea – The Magnetic Fields – The poorman's Pet Shop Boys live and die on whether you can give into the charms of Stephen Merrits songwriting charms. I loved much of 1999's 69 Songs but all he has done since then is rehash the idea of a uniquely twee but deep sound in various and many genres. I can't hear it. Grade: B-
Start The Revolution – Kaiser Chiefs – The bands worst album and still pretty damn good. A little too busy, a little over produced, and doesn't hit hard enough. But song for song, it comes thru in the clinch. Grade: B+
Zoo – Ceremony – California punk rock group make a point, and the point is they can release good punk rock albums. Which we already knew. Then they make another point, that they can make a good rock and roll album with zero caveatsGrade: B+
Breakfast – Chiddy Bank – Possibly the best hip hop album of the year isn't "Ray Charles" plus wannabes, it is "Ray Charles" plus some of the catchiest hooks of the year. It plays like their 2010 debut's big brother, catchier, more muscular, smarter. Grade: A-
To The Treetops – Team Me – This is weirdly twinkly Euro-folk pop. Like Kidz Bop cover Bjork with all the weirdness taken out and lotsa soft rolled pop textures thrown in. Grade: B-
Hell In A Handbag – Meatloaf – I can take him over a song or two, over an album? If he ain't at his dashboard, I'm outta here. Grade: C+