Disclosure's loping dance-pop single "Latch," a number 11 U.K. hit in 2012, introduced Sam Smith, a London-born vocalist with a deeply emotive voice. Smith grew up listening to R&B giants Chaka Khan, Luther Vandross, and Whitney Houston, but their first impression was unique, not merely for the richness of their voice, but its resoundingly expressive yet naturally delivered manner -- on a level most singers can't match with maximum effort. Early 2013 brought their debut solo single, "Lay Me Down" -- an aching singer/songwriter-soul throwback that scraped the U.K. Top 50. It was quickly eclipsed by a lead role on Naughty Boy's "La La La," a breakbeat-driven tearjerker that went to number one in the U.K. and then reached the Top 20 in the U.S. "Money on My Mind," an upbeat statement of purpose more about the soul than the heart, and "Stay with Me," a torch song with a gospel-inspired chorus, were Smith's second and third solo singles. They preceded the release of In the Lonely Hour, the singer and songwriter's debut album. Those three solo singles are here, along with seven new songs that tend to cast Smith as a heartbroken balladeer. Deep sorrow informs most of the material. Much more about mourning than movement here, Smith is bold for not attempting to capitalize on the Disclosure and Naughty Boy hits. The dominance of stripped-down backdrops -- some with merely piano, acoustic guitar, and conservative strings -- is somewhat surprising. That puts all the more focus on Smith's voice and words, the latter of which switch between borderline maudlin ("What use is money when you need someone to hold?") and disarmingly brazen ("Just leave your lover, leave him for me"). If Smith didn't have such a remarkable voice, they could stay busy composing songs for artists in several genres; the anthemic "Like I Can" could be easily adapted for a contemporary country singer, while a few others could be turned over to young pop artists in need of material that makes them sound more human. This is an understated and promising first step from an unpredictable and distinctive talent.© Andy Kellman /TiVo

Dublin-based Irish rockers Kodaline existed for a good six years as 21 Demands before changing their name in 2011. So while In a Perfect World is technically a debut album, it comes from a band whose members are well-versed in playing and releasing music together, and sounds polished and constructed as such. Following the same softly introspective alternative rock leanings of Coldplay or Snow Patrol, the album includes kickoff single "High Hopes" and other standout tracks such as "Love Like This." Originally released in the summer of 2013, the album entered the Irish albums charts at number one.© Fred Thomas /TiVo

Listening to Bad Religion's 1982 debut , How Could Hell Be Any Worse?, is like cupping your ear against the garage door of their practice space. Greg Graffin's vocal style isn't fully formed here, nor is his lyrical agenda, but the building blocks are significant and affecting, bigger than piles of collapsed cathedrals. Indeed, "Voice of God Is Government" begins with a caustic caricature of the money-grubbing preacher, who assures that donations will be used to "censor TV and radio, ban questionable books, and contribute to many other Godly services." Snotty punk then crumbles into accelerated, anthemic hardcore. The subtle "We're Only Gonna Die" opens the album; the piano and acoustic guitar midsection is a nice foil for the youthful anger in the vocal and its crackling lead guitar riff, a sound and tone that would only become more refined and powerful with consecutive '80s outings. "Fuck Armageddon...This Is Hell" is another highlight, with its tense, urgent opening instrumental section and Graffin's Southern California-centric rail against throat-choking smog.© Johnny Loftus /TiVo

"On TRIANGULATION, Scuba continues his label's thrilling run with a proper full-length of fluid, melodic dubstep that sounds beautiful and aggressive in equal measure." © TiVo

Disclosure's loping dance-pop single "Latch," a number 11 U.K. hit in 2012, introduced Sam Smith, a London-born vocalist with a deeply emotive voice. Smith grew up listening to R&B giants Chaka Khan, Luther Vandross, and Whitney Houston, but their first impression was unique, not merely for the richness of their voice, but its resoundingly expressive yet naturally delivered manner -- on a level most singers can't match with maximum effort. Early 2013 brought their debut solo single, "Lay Me Down" -- an aching singer/songwriter-soul throwback that scraped the U.K. Top 50. It was quickly eclipsed by a lead role on Naughty Boy's "La La La," a breakbeat-driven tearjerker that went to number one in the U.K. and then reached the Top 20 in the U.S. "Money on My Mind," an upbeat statement of purpose more about the soul than the heart, and "Stay with Me," a torch song with a gospel-inspired chorus, were Smith's second and third solo singles. They preceded the release of In the Lonely Hour, the singer and songwriter's debut album. Those three solo singles are here, along with seven new songs that tend to cast Smith as a heartbroken balladeer. Deep sorrow informs most of the material. Much more about mourning than movement here, Smith is bold for not attempting to capitalize on the Disclosure and Naughty Boy hits. The dominance of stripped-down backdrops -- some with merely piano, acoustic guitar, and conservative strings -- is somewhat surprising. That puts all the more focus on Smith's voice and words, the latter of which switch between borderline maudlin ("What use is money when you need someone to hold?") and disarmingly brazen ("Just leave your lover, leave him for me"). If Smith didn't have such a remarkable voice, they could stay busy composing songs for artists in several genres; the anthemic "Like I Can" could be easily adapted for a contemporary country singer, while a few others could be turned over to young pop artists in need of material that makes them sound more human. This is an understated and promising first step from an unpredictable and distinctive talent.© Andy Kellman /TiVo

Cunning if not particularly novel synthesists, Surrey's Guy and Howard Lawrence draw from several styles and sub-styles of dance music -- house, garage, dubstep, bass -- and add pop appeal on Settle, their first album. The Lawrences began humbly with MySpace uploads of scruffy, sampling-enhanced dubstep tracks, but they quickly accelerated to making lustrous, impeccably assembled tracks with varied vocalists. Between October 2012 and April 2013, the duo released a trio of singles that fared no worse than number 11 on the U.K. pop chart: the soaring shuffle-tech of "Latch" (with a bursting, almost overdone lead from Sam Smith), the undeniable crossover house track "White Noise" (a perfectly timed partnership with upcoming duo AlunaGeorge), and the rush-inducing so-called future garage of "You & Me" (featuring Eliza Doolittle, something of a sequel to their fine remix of Jessie Ware's "Running"). Those hits appear here. Without them, the album would still be generous. Few tracks, however, will appease those who bemoaned the duo's departure from relying on sampled and treated vocals. The sluggish "Second Chance," where a downcast Kelis line dissolves into mush, and the rattling "Grab Her!" -- its refrain pinched from Slum Village -- are no match for past sample-heavy delights like "Carnival," "Flow," or "What's in Your Head." The new vocal cuts are either near the level of the hits or are merely pleasant. Howard Lawrence's lead turn on "F for You" approaches the sweetness of Scritti Politti's Green Gartside. Teenaged Sasha Keable sounds wise beyond her years on "Voices," one of the album's deeper house tracks ("I tried to dismiss what you taught me"). London Grammar's Hannah Reid has the unenviable task of following Doolittle, Jamie Woon, and Jessie Ware but delivers one of the most heartrending leads on "Help Me Lose My Mind." Like the closing songs on the first three Basement Jaxx albums, the song initially comes across as an insignificant finale but gradually bubbles to the top as a discreet highlight. Considering all the shrewd alliances and its polished attack, Settle seems like it was designed to be 2013's acceptable dance album. That said, any purist who denies its abundance of pleasures is a crank.© Andy Kellman /TiVo

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