I strongly believe I'm getting harder to impress. Each year, as I comb through the stacks of albums that have been sent my way during the past twelve months, it's becoming harder and harder to find those albums that have truly struck a chord in my soul. This year, I found myself gravitating away from the major artists whose music is becoming less inspiring and embracing the fresh and innovative sound of new acts. So this year, you'll see a few familiar faces, but the majority of my picks are from artists who you may have yet to discover.[…]