Vanessa E. Jones' picks
1. Usher, ‘‘Confessions’’ (Arista)
One of R&B’s biggest egos finally delivers
on his boasts by giving music lovers
a CD stuffed with great songs from
beginning to end. He confidently
wraps his mellifluous voice around
both club bangers and slow jams with ease.
2. Kanye West, ‘‘The College Dropout’’ (Roc-A-Fella)
Usher’s hip-hop counterpart in the ego department eschewed
the usual celebrations of materialism and misogyny
to explore education, racism, and religion.
3. Van Hunt, ‘‘Van Hunt’’ (Capitol)
This newcomer wins the ‘‘best kept secret’’ award by
creating a unique sound that’s not exactly R&B, soul,
rock, pop, or hip-hop. Too bad he didn’t get much hype
for his efforts.
4. Nas, ‘‘Street’s Disciple’’ (Sony Urban Music
/Columbia)
It takes a lot of talent to sustain a double CD, but Nas
does it with ease on this outing by linking insightful lyrics
with banging beats.
5. U2, ‘‘How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb’’ (Interscope)
Even U2 thinks critics overly praised its previous CD.
This time, the guys live up to the hype with a gorgeous
(and consistent) album.
6. Bjork, ‘‘Medulla’’ (Elektra)
No more classical music accompaniments or wacky
beats, as on the singer’s previous studio CD. This time she
relies solely on vocals and creates a work that will inspire
listeners to try beatboxing.
7. Amel Larrieux, ‘‘Bravebird’’ (Blisslife)
She may not have the warmth of the great female R&B
singers, but her swooping, soaring vocals prove Larrieux
definitely has the chops.
8. Beenie Man, ‘‘Back to Basics’’ (Virgin)
This year, critics skewered him for his homophobic
lyrics. But you won’t .nd that controversial content on
this hit-filled disc, just easy-to-like songs that continue
dancehall’s incontrovertible march into the mainstream.
9. Green Day, ‘‘American Idiot’’ (Reprise)
Socially conscious punk rock that captures the numbness
and alienation of the times? Sounds like the setup
for a joke, but this CD achieves all that with shockingly
accessible songs.
10. Brandy, ‘‘Afrodisiac’’ (Atlantic Records)
Baby mama drama drives this R&B singer’s most enjoyable
album to date.
Vanessa E. Jones is a Globe staff writer.
