Yeah, we're early. Four months early, to be exact. But the year has already provided so many thrills that we couldn't resist taking stock of what's impressed us thus far. You'll find indie rock done right and dancehall done Jewish, gender- and genre-bending, beats made by hand and circuitry and one very, very angry man. There are many albums we wish could be on this list (a part two might lie in the future), but for now, we're absolutely confident in recommending every one of these albums. You won't be disappointed.