HONORABLE MENTIONS

Leela James
"Let's Do It Again" (Shanachie)
Soul revivalism done right (for once) -- (mostly) well-chosen songs delivered with spunk and smarts ("Baby I'm Scared of You," "Simply Beautiful," "I'd Rather Be With You").

Various artists
"War Child Presents Heroes: An Album to Benefit Children Affected by War" (Astralwerks/War Child)
Who said nobody writes standards anymore? (Lily Allen feat. Mick Jones, "Straight to Hell"; Duffy, "Live and Let Die").

Amadou & Mariam
"1990-1995: Le Meilleur des Années Maliennes" (Because)
Starting just guitar-and-voices, they gain beats, blues, and a belief that they can impact the world ("Kokolon," "Fantani").

M. Ward
"Hold Time" (Merge)
What if an overrated singer-songwriter was so damn understated he found true love and/or Jesus and nobody noticed? ("To Save Me," "Oh Lonesome Me").

The Prodigy
"Invaders Must Die" (Take Me to the Hospital)
Weird thing -- at the proper historical distance, good rave and good punk provide the same cheap thrill ("Thunder," "Invaders Must Die").

Ahilea
"Cafe Svetlana" (Essay)
Electric Balkan bellydance rebetika -- music for all manner of Viennese shlaviner ("Spiritus Tango," "In Da Balkan Style").

The-Dream
"Love Vs. Hate" (Def Jam)
The trickiest beats on the market meet a weirdo who just decided R. Kelly is his beau ideal ("Love Vs. Money Part 2," "Right Side of My Brain").

Nat King Cole
"Re:Generations" (Capitol)
Affable as ever, he slips suavely into the beats of the day -- Cee-Lo and Just Blaze, will.i.am and TV on the Radio ("Straighten Up and Fly Right," "Pick-Up").

Gaye Adegbalola
"Gaye Without Shame" (VizzTone)
Better late than never, Saffire's reddest, hottest mama figures out why men never really did it for her ("The Great Pretender," "Deja Vu Blues").

Animal Collective
"Merriweather Post Pavilion" (Domino)
Sunny down snuff they're all right with the heroes and villains ("My Girls," "Brother Sport").

Shemekia Copeland
"Never Going Back" (Telarc)
Fourth-generation-and-counting blueswoman finds her voice, aka some decent songwriters ("Born a Penny," "Limousine").

Keyshia Cole
"A Different Me" (Def Jam)
Her complaisant act is as sexy as she wants when it works, but she doesn't take to it that well ("Make Me Over," "Oh-Oh, Yeah-Yea").

Condo F---s
"F---book" (Matador)
Having fun with Ira, Georgia, and James in ... the laundry room of their apartment building? ("Gudbuy T'Jane," "Dog Meat").

Oreka Tx
"Nomadak Tx" (World Village)
Basque percussionists meet Saharans, Adivasi, Sami and most notably Mongols for shamanistic background music and documentary film ("Lauhazka," "Saapmi").

Seal
"Soul" (Warner Bros.)
A warm, subtly serrated instrument normally disabled by cryogenic material and production, which these American classics ain't, so eat it ("Here I Am [Come and Take Me]," "Knock on Wood").

India.Arie
"Testimony Vol. 2: Love & Politics" (Universal Republic)
Both of them warm, thoughtful and likable, both tinged with propriety and self-regard ("Ghetto," "Long Goodbye").

Gun Outfit
"Dim Light" (PPM)
"Sitting in the dark/Freaking out," with only their riffs to brighten their hemmed-in lives ("Work Experience," "Had Enough").

The Service Industry
"Keep the Babies Warm" (Sauspop)
They didn't predict the crash -- too busy. ("Liquid Meat [Into a Form]," "Keep the Babies Warm").

Kelly Clarkson
"All I Ever Wanted" (RCA)
Striving to master the popular art of enacting humongous feelings in lieu of comprehending them or conveying them ("My Life Would Suck Without You," "I Do Not Hook Up").

CHOICE CUTS

Todd Snider
"America's Favorite Pastime"
("The Home Run EP" [Yep Roc])

Jennifer Hudson
"Pocketbook"
("Jennifer Hudson" [Arista])

Shearwater
"So Bad"
("The Snow Leopard" [Matador])

Lorraine Leckie and Her Demons
"Getaway Car"
("Four Cold Angels" [RatLegz])

Rick Berlin
"Michiko"
("Old Stag" [Hi-N-Dry])