I’m listening to these five albums the most right now.

1 – Coldplay – A Rush of Blood to the Head

What can I say about this album? It has to be the best combination of lyrics and mellow I’ve ever heard. I consider this the best album of my generation so far. Songs like “the scientist” and “clocks” are probably the most popular. I can picture Chris Martin bobbing his head while belting these incredible tunes. When listening to songs like “A Whisper” you can really feel the driving force of the music.

2 – Maxwell – Now

In the nineties I remember hearing Maxwell on the radio and even seeing a video of his – but I really didn’t register with his music. After some time I managed to rediscover Now through a retrospective I heard on the radio (FLOW?). Maxwell is considered one of the neo-soul pioneers and seemed to drop off the face of the earth close to ten years ago. His sound and voice are very distinct and he’s great to listen to for hours on end. Tracks like “Get to know ya” just so perfectly R&B’ish and “This woman’s work”, showcasing his vocal abilities in a very unconventional cover of Kate Bush.

3 – Robin Thicke – The Evolution of

This album has really grown on me over the last year or so – there is something about the style this guy has that enhances his music. I had heard of him before with his song “how do I get you alone” but the music didn’t fit for him. With songs like “Can you believe” there’s more of a soul component that sounds perfect.

4 – Justin Timberlake – FutureSex/LoveSounds

Justin’s sound and talents were not always apparent. I passed him off as a boy-band reject. His first solo album was great though, I enjoyed “Senorita” and “Like I love you” but I had still thought of his music as just pop music (in the disposable sense – yea, I know that’s negative). With Lovesounds, I saw Justin differently, clips of his MSG show in New York and an SNL performance showed me his incredible talents. Songs like “My Love”, “What Goes Around…/…Comes Around” and “loosing my way” are great to listen too.

5 – Radiohead – In Rainbows

A very recent album for me, but I have played it to death. Radiohead’s music is so distinct and perfect that you can’t stop listening, even when you don’t know what the hell their actually singing! I haven’t always been so into Radiohead – but I’ve enjoyed this album more and more as I have continued to listen.