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Even though I’m not a huge r+b guy, every so often an artist, a single, or an entire album will capture my imagination and a piece of my heart. One album in particular has stayed in heavy rotation is D’angelo’s Voodoo, one that many consider to be a classic. This year Justin Timberlake dropped his third solo album and inc. dropped their first LP. Both albums are reminiscent of that seminal work from a decade ago, but travel into very distinct directions. These are the two best albums of a young 2013.

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The 20/20 Experience is Timberlake’s first release since 2006′s FutureSex/LoveSounds. He returns in fine form, once again tapping Timbaland to helm most of the production duties. The singular beatbox sounds and wicki-wickis are a welcome reminder of Timbo’s charm. His chemistry with JT shines through as strongly as it did six years ago, perhaps even stronger. The long track lengths, the improvisational vamping and the extended song themes hearken back to their exciting experimentation on FSLS. Several reviewers have criticized these overtures as over-indulgence and as a weakness of the album. I see it as a strength, a distinction from much the less organic (and always under 4-minutes) pop music that presently dominates airwaves. Timberlake is a true entertainer and his charisma is as evident on 20/20 as it is on his latest SNL appearances and acting turns. Like D’Angelo, Timberlake displays his vulnerability and sexuality, but he’s more about the polish and good humor of romance, less about the raw emotion involved. There are a few shades of heartbreak and sadness but no bluesey brooding or mourning–this record is about having fun, dancing, romancing, spending money and falling in love. Here is an interesting article from Noisey highlighting the almost-too-polished aesthetic of JT’s career and raising some interesting points about race and privilege that extend to his music and recent subliminal pseudo-feud with Kanye West. The album’s low marks include his Frank Ocean imitation on  Blue Ocean Floor and the boring Jay-Z collaboration Suit and Tie. Here are the highlights of the album for me:

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As far as Inc., I had not heard any of their music until the The Place dropped earlier this year in support of their debut No World.

Such a catchy, breathy tune, one of those where the unintelligible lyrics hardly matter–another parallel to D’Angelo’s stylization. It’s the feeling you get from Daniel and Andrew Aged that’s the thing–it’s in their voices, instrumentation, even in their look. The video of them fiddling around in the woods and creek seems misplaced at first–their tattered t-shirts and boots and blank stares and 90s haricuts. But once you check out their tweets or interviews the video makes sense as an extension of their aesthetic: vulnerable, artsy, soft, thoughtful, quiet, mysterious. No irony here, and how refreshing.

The next single they dropped was 5 days which also invokes Voodoo, perhaps even Erykah Badu’s debut Baduizm, especially in the percussion and background vocal samples. Like D’Angelo, their lyricism is less at the forefront than the rhythm and melody. The brothers appear shy in their videos as well as on the track, preferring to keep their distance and retain their mystery. Will this artistic decision keep them from being breakout stars anytime soon? Who cares? If it’s extreme extraversion you want, there’s Timberlake for that. These guys are more interested in establishing a mood, an ethereal vibe they can ride out and get deep into. Just listen to the hypnotic melancholy of Black Wings or the slow, sad descent of Angel. This is mood music, not dance music. The most uptempo they get is when they harken back to Aaliyah and TLC-type productions of the mid-90s on Lifetime and Trust (Hell Below). But even on those two they avoid the explicit, content in their fog of snares, keys, samples and vocals. So now we’ve got No World for foggy, rainy days and The 20/20 Experience for sunny ones. Either way we’re all set for a smooth spring soundtrack. Let’s ride.