The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (1966)

Brian Wilson was the original tortured genius of modern pop, forget everything else you've heard. How do I know this? Well because when I entered "Tortured pop genius" into Google, searching for an artist to compare him to, I saw that he was the first result. But I also know this because of the Beach Boys' legendary record Pet Sounds

Pet Sounds was released on May 16, 1966 and is notable for featuring some of the most beautiful love songs of all time as well as numerously catchy pop singles. The album is notable for its peppy organ and keyboard work which is perfectly enhanced by an orchestra. The cherry on top of this aural sundae is Brian Wilson's pitch-perfect falsetto delivery and moans.

This album isn't just about love, though. Brian Wilson, especially for this time period, was writing some really personal lyrics, often revealing his insecurity, loneliness and sorrow. This is especially apparent in the album's arguably greatest moment: a song called "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times." It is a song in which Brian wonders why things always seem to go wrong for him and confesses the title statement with a voice so sorrowful it makes him sound much older than the 23 year old he was while recording. Combined with the utterly relateable sentiment of the lyrics and the mindblowing background vocal harmonies, it is a shiver-inducing, mind-blowing song and yet... it still feels human. And that is a perfect example of why Pet Sounds is revered by nearly everyone who gives it a shot.

Albert Hammond, Jr. - ¿Cómo Te Llama? (2009)

As the second of his self-penned albums, ¿Cómo Te Llama? is an important moment for the Strokes rhythm guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. as well as his solo career. Thankfully, this is not that all-too familiar story of a sophomore screw-up. Improving off of his debut in every way, Albert Hammond Jr. weaves together a unique mesh of sounds and styles. Albert's vocals are not all-that impressive, but their power and presence transcends any weaknesses he may have as a vocalist. Almost every song is full of rebellion, positivity and catchy melodies and big choruses. It is, however, the slower numbers "Spooky Couch" (a beautiful instrumental piece) and "You Won't Be Fooled By This" (a wistful ballad) which reveal a much more tender side of Albert's songwriting and prove to be the album's greatest strength. He may not have as many songwriting credits as his Strokes band-mates, but on this album he proves his influence on the group, showing why he is an integral part of the garage-rocking collective.

All in all, though, the best song on here (and one that I urge everyone who reads this to check out) is definitely the opener, "Bargain of A Century." The song has a rapidfire bass intro which builds to a beautiful, keyboard-covered main hook, followed by a melancholy verse. The highlight of the song is the utterly heart-rendering guitar solo that is restrained and yet show-stopping. And that right is the perfect way to describe ¿Cómo Te Llama?.

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