/>Murray Street (2002)
Perfect for: Art-school after-after party. Backstory: It took 20 years, but the masters of New York rock experimentation eventually lost touch with the edgy sonics that spawned a generation of noisy bands. On Murray Street, however, Sonic Youth got its beautifully discordant groove back.
2// Raekwon Only Built 4 Cuban Linx … Pt. II (2009) Perfect for: Getting paid in full. Backstory: Biggest Wu-Tang letdowns: ODB’s death and the 14 years between good Raekwon joints. Here he enlists almost every living member of the Clan to cut a classic about quitting crime. Good thing—his previous release was criminally bad.
3// Brian Wilson Smile (2004) Perfect for: Sex Wax flashbacks. Backstory: Surprisingly, “Brian Wilson crazy” never caught on as an epithet. The legendarily recalcitrant Beach Boy wrote Smile at the height of his band’s fame, then shelved it because he didn’t think it was sufficiently brilliant. It took him 37 years to realize he was wrong.
4// Roky Erickson with Okkervil River True Love Cast Out All Evil (2010) Perfect for: Post-church beer ‘n’ bbq. Backstory: The former 13th Floor Elevators singer emerged from a psychedelic haze of marginal sanity to record this intimate, bittersweet Americana. It’s his first album in 15 years—and first good one in 30.
5// Justin Timberlake FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006) Perfect for: Sexting. Backstory: The demise of ‘N Sync plunged Timberlake into an identity crisis. Enter Timbaland, whose studio wizardry helped JT channel his formidable—and yes, incredibly sexy—talent into a mature, club-ready sound. Phew! Now, where’s my box?