Cornershop must have really enjoyed working with unknown singer Bubbley Kaur on last year's collaboration album Cornershop and the Double 'O' Groove Of. The British band's eighth LP features different singing partners on each of its 11 tracks. But unlike the somewhat tuneless 2011 outing, Urban Turban packs its songs with pop hooks, dance grooves, and hip-hop beats. It's their most accessible album since 1997's breakthrough When I Was Born for the 7th Time. Frontman Tjinder Singh still plays outside of pop's usual boundaries, revealing surprises at every turn — like on the opening "What Did the Hippie Have in His Bag?", which includes giggling and shouting from schoolkids over burping synths. And on "Milkin' It," he pays tribute to old-school rap with beats and rhymes to match. — Michael Gallucci
