4, Beyoncé 

On her latest release, Beyoncé struggles, throwing everything she has at her audience and still leaving them unfulfilled. The ultra-private performer doesn’t seem genuine, and it’s hard to get into the mid-tempo ballads that make up the majority of the album. While “Who Runs the World (Girls)” attempts to add a splash of chutzpah to the otherwise blasé “4,” it can’t save the sinking ship. After all, if the artist herself cannot connect to her lyrics, how can she expect the listeners to?

All Things Bright and Beautiful, Owl City 

Adam Young (Owl City) took the world by storm with his first major-label record “Ocean Eyes,” opening the public eye to happy go-lucky pop-piano synth, sugar-sweet lyrics and quirky vocals. Despite the success of hits like “Fireflies” and “Vanilla Twilight,” I wasn’t expecting much from his sophomore major-label effort. But “Bright” does more than impress, showing off Young’s ability to grow (many hits display hip-hop-esque backbeats, and the single “Alligator Sky” features Shawn Christopher as a guest vocalist) but still remain true to his saccharine-laced roots.

Bon Iver, Bon Iver 

Bon Iver’s second full-length album is a development on the musical ideas that gave frontman Justin Vernon national recognition and introduced thousands to the genre of “indie-folk.” Vernon’s unmistakable voice is still as powerful as ever and his emotionally charged poetry still packs quite a punch. However, whereas the sparse instrumentation on “For Emma” (Bon Iver’s first album) kept the listener’s focus squarely on Vernon’s vocals, “Bon Iver” introduces wholly new timbres that include kick-you-in-the-head drumming (as on “Perth”) and heavily processed saxophone (as on “Minnesota, WI”). If “For Emma” was a charcoal sketch, “Bon Iver” would be an oil painting: a broader, more developed artistic vision, albeit no less beautiful.

Chief, Eric Church

To all those country naysayers out there, don’t be afraid to pick up a copy of Church’s summer offering. “Chief” is far off the beaten country road. Church is considered by many to be “an arrogant prick” after 2009’s “Lotta Boot Left to Fill,” in which he criticized his slightly pop-sounding country brethren with such quips as “You sing about Johnny Cash/The man in black would’ve whipped your ass.” Though I don’t know how Cash would feel about Church’s sophomore effort, I gladly tip my hat in his direction. This is the first time that someone has successfully merged techno-tinged beats with country roots. It’s a new age for country music, and I’ll gladly welcome it with open arms.

Watch the Throne, Kanye West and Jay-Z

A recent Rolling Stone article named Eminem the King of Rap. Regardless of the racial implications of naming an angry white guy the king, it’s also incorrect. The real kings of rap are Kanye West and Jay-Z, and they prove it with their new album “Watch the Throne.” It’s self-referential. It’s pretentious. It has jaw-droppingly bizarre samples. But it’s damn good.