Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid

Apparently the Album of the Year coronation is a foregone conclusion. Don't believe me? This is the highest-rated album on metacritic in several years.

I'll begin by stating that I'm the wrong person to be commenting about this album. I'm simply not a fan of groove-oriented R&B, at least as it's been practiced since, oh, the dawn of disco. But I'll qualify that by noting that I am nevertheless extremely impressed by the ambition of Janelle Monae and her full-length debut. The ArchAndroid is huge in every way, from its epic length, to its ridiculously absurd sci-fi concept (Ziggy Stardust as funk robot from the 28th century), to its utter mastery of genres as seemingly disparate as classical, hip-hop, prog rock, doo-wop, and heavy metal. I just wish I had more love for dance-oriented music. As it stands, my guess is that this is as jaw-droppingly creative as it ever gets.

And I'll end the comments by noting that Of Montreal has to be the most annoying band on the planet, or traveling the intergalactic spaceways, for that matter. Their "collaboration" mars might what otherwise be a perfect album.