Kanye West actually seems to have been held back a grade this time around. Maybe he's enjoying (taking people to) school too much. This is another great album, but it might be his worst one yet. The beats were more sophisticated and diverse, but the rhymes were more stagnant than they've ever been. I'd like to see him hook up with some more of the games top producers, but as far as the raps go, I'd like to see him ease off with the microhone collaborators because he either overshadows them, they clash completely, or they sound uninspired.

A more basic approach could work for someone so naturally talented. One thing I know for sure is that I'd like to hear a lot less braggadocio. Not only is it unnecessary for someone who already has it all, but he does more and more of it with each subsequent album which makes him sound incredibly bitter and paranoid.

Sailing the Seas of Glee
48. Caribou - Andorra (Merge)
Dan Snaith is one of those amazing talents who can either take electronic music way beyond any imaginable limits, or can transform it to the point where it's stripped away so completely that it becomes simple pop music again and you forget that any machines were harmed in the making of his albums. This is his most focused effort yet and probably his most euphoric. It all adds up to a dizzying, sensuous, dense program that almost never misses a beat (literally and figuratively). One of the most satisfying surprises of the year for sure.

For fans of: the Beach Boys; Black Moth Super Rainbow; Animal Collective; Matthew Dear; Cornershop

Doing Us a Solid Once More
47. Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass (Definitive Jux)
He is still one of the most consistent and one of a kind MC's of our generation. He continues to broadcast from another level and somehow seems to unearth new ones each time out. His only weakness may be on those seldom occasions when he tries too hard to be cool. For some it comes naturally and he is obviously one of those people, so making believe just brings an awkward insincerity to the table.

Luckily these moments are few and far between. Most of the time you'll just be grinning while he blows your mind while offering you an automatic good time. Special consideration must also go out to Blockhead, who creates most of the dynamic, head-nodding, jumpy, pinball wizard beats here.

For fans of: El-P; Mr. Lif; Del the Funkee Homosapien; Mos Def; Ludacris

The Noise of a New Generation
46. (tie) Liars - (Mute)
46. (tie) No Age - Weirdo Rippers (Fat Cat)
Though both of these bands would fit comfortably together on the same bill and the same mix tape, No Age is definitely the more accessible of the two. Their brand of noise is more melodic and obvious (in a good way) and perhaps more infectious, depending on what you're looking for. They creep further and further away from their hardcore past and inch towards something refreshingly close to post punk indie rock here (with subtle hints of underground pop thrown in for good measure), but there are still moments of abstract noise here. But on their album, the droning instrumentals sound more essential and emotional where you get the feeling that Liars are trying to drive you nuts sometimes.