Pharrell Williams

Singles "Can I Have It Like That" and "Number 1" are typically Neptunes -- the latter: wispy R&B, arrogant yet lovelorn; the former: muscular pop-hop with a diamond hook. But the album is most interesting when it departs from Pharrell's well-worn blueprint. The loopy "Raspy Sh*t" sounds like the sonic equivalent of pop rocks: exploding and sizzling, wacky and wonderful. Some of the beats don't pan out, but for the most part My Mind will be a revelation for die-hard fans of pop's most vaunted producer/fashionista.