With the end of September, comes the end of a great month of music. From hip-hop to folk music, September 2012 brought us a wide variety of albums.

Kanye West Presents GOOD Music’s Cruel Summer
Rating: 8.4/10
One of the most highly anticipated albums of the year, finally made its debut. With powerhouse rapper Kanye West backed by his personal music label, GOOD music, the record definitely deserves a listen. The album starts with R.Kelly’s soulful voice signing “To the World” followed by a less than clever verse from Kanye where he sings about his many accomplishments including a “fashion show and a tour and a movie and a score.” From there the album jumps to a Hit-Boy produced song entitled “Clique” where Big Sean joins the Throne cast (Kanye and Jay-Z) and surprisingly holds his own alongside the legends. Other notable tracks include “Mercy.1,” “The Morning” and “Don’t Like.1.” Also, we finally hear from Kid Cudi, after his hiatus from hip-hop and rap, on the track “Creepers.” Overall the album is a good buy if you’re looking for some bass-heavy, pre-party songs. But with the absence of Q-Tip and Mos Def, it’s an incomplete GOOD music album.

UPDATE: In a recent interview with MTV news Q-Tip hinted at potentially another GOOD music album coming out, stating “If there’s a Cruel Summer then there’s got to be a Cruel Winter right?”

Mumford and Son’s Babel
Rating: 9.0/10

Following the critically acclaimed and best selling album Sigh No More, which received 4 Grammy nominations and has sat on the Billboard top 200 for an astonishing 131 weeks, the English folk-stars had a lot to live up to with Babel. The lead single “I Will Wait,” comes out in traditional Mumford and Sons style, with lead singer Marcus Mumford’s voice crooning about love while guitarist Winston Marshall plays a banjo progression that makes even the most hot-headed person appreciate a good banjo player. Other notable songs include “Holland Road,” “Lover of the Light” and “Not With Haste.” Having already purchased this album, I do not regret it at all, and apparently thousands of others agree, with Babel moving 600,000 copies in the first week according to Billboard.com, giving it the year’s top debut. I would definitely recommend giving Babel a listen regardless if you like “folk music” or not. Music lovers should rejoice that in a time where musical individuality is hard to come by, one band is still doing it right.

Bob Dylan’s Tempest
Rating: 8.3/10

Growing up in a generation where very few people know, or appreciate the genius that is Bob Dylan, relating to his records is difficult. That being said, it is easy to understand why in some people’s book Bob Dylan isn’t just a legend, he’s one of the greatest. Not knowing many of his songs besides hits such as “Like a Rolling Stone” and “The Times They Are A-Changin” I didn’t know what to expect when I began listening to Tempest. After a few listens through the album, I have found that I’ve stumbled upon an old treasure that has been forgotten for too long. The album starts off with “Duquesne Whistle” where the legend sings “you say I’m a gambler, you say I’m a pimp, but I ain’t either one” in his easily recognizable gritty, yet soulful voice. The album continues on to tracks like “Scarlet Town,” “Early Roman Kings” and “Tin Angel.” Overall, each and every track is perfect on it’s own. Every verse and chorus is like receiving advice from a man who has lived and learned enough for 2 lives. That being said, Tempest isn’t for everyone, and understandably so. But coming from someone whose Ipod is filled with hip-hop and rock music, it’s definitely worth a listen.

Green Day’s ¡Uno!
Rating: 9.0/10

I’ll preface this review by stating the obvious: ¡Uno! is not Dookie and if that’s what you’re looking for from the band, you just keep living in your fantasy world. BUT I will say that ¡Uno! is a gem in itself. The original punk rockers first album in a three-part series, ¡Uno! redefines what we expect to see from the trio. On tracks such as “Oh Love,” “Stay The Night” and “Kill The DJ,” leader singer Billie Joe sounds fresh and reborn, a nice change from the rock opera that was 21st Century Breakdown. Alongside his fellow bandmates, Tre Cool and Mike Dirnt, Billie Joe has seemingly found a new way to rock without getting too far from their punk roots. Of course, in classic Green Day style, there are your love ballads such as “Fell For You,” “Sweet 16” and of course “Oh Love.” But songs such as “Nuclear Family” and “Carpe Diem” are battle cries for change, commentaries on the society we live in, yet still catchy enough to jam out to. All in all, there is something for new and old Green Day fans alike, making it a valuable addition to any music buff’s collection. In interviews before the album’s release, the band said that ¡Uno! would be getting ready for the party, ¡Dos! is the party, and ¡Tres! is the morning after. After hearing what the pre-party sounded like, I am eagerly anticipating the release of the follow up albums.  

Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt.1
Rating: 9.3/10

After a disappointing 2011 album entitled Lasers, Lupe had a lot of fans to gain back with the second part of what some might say is his best album, Food & Liquor. Just the album title itself was a large claim from the the Chicago native, yet he lives up to all the hype and exceeds all expectations. For those who don’t know Lupe’s record label, Atlantic Records, had some serious issues with what Lupe wanted to do with his last album and in an attempt to mold him for more radio play, took away his creativity from Lasers after a 4 year holdout. But it seems that the two parties have made peace and settled on common ground for the new album. With his creative freedom back in hand, Lupe once again tackled the issues of the world, one verse at a time. The leading single for the album, “Around My Way [Freedom Ain’t Free]” starts off with shots at the American government for past deeds (ex.Trail of Tears) and present issues (ex. fossil fuels or as Lupe so poetically puts it “dinosaur for the Cadillac.”) From there we travel to “Audobon Ballroom,” the place where civil rights leader Malcom X was assassinated. One of the most controversial songs of the album “B***h Bad” tells the story of a boy and a girl both growing up mislead by the world around them about the true meaning of b***h. In an industry where women are commonly referred to as objects or in a demeaning manner, it is nice to hear an artist who transcends all those are around him. Lupe raps the chorus “b***h bad, woman good, lady better” and although the statement seems obvious, to most kids it isn’t. Notable tracks include “Strange Fruition,” “Battle Scars” and “Form Follows Function.” This album is for true rap fans who are looking for deep meanings behind lyrics and can truly appreciate the mind of Lupe Fiasco. It’s a shame that we live in a society where most won’t ever hear this album because it won’t get much air time on the radio.

The Killer’s Battle Born
Rating: 8.4/10

For those looking for another Hot Fuss, you’ve come to the wrong place. This album is a masterpiece on its own, simple yet beautiful. The lead single “Runaways” comes out strong, telling the tale of (what other than) love and all that it brings. Other notable songs include “Heart Of A Girl” and “Battle Born.” Arguably the best song on the album “Miss Atomic Bomb,” gets right back to old Killers ways, talking about girls while spending nights in the desert listening to Elvis. Overall, the album didn’t blow me away but it’s still worth the buy if you’re a longtime fan.