Places

It’d be a shame to adorn a voice as powerful as Glee star Lea Michele’s with too much fuss. So Places doesn’t; it's a straight-up vocal showcase packed with engrossing, emotional tunes. On songs like the gentle opener "Love Is Alive," there’s little more than a graceful piano or string section to guide her, allowing those expressive pipes to soar over heartfelt, typically uplifting lyrics. When she sings, "I’m still a believer/Can’t nobody tame this raging heart,” on "Believer," it works as both a tender self-reflection and a battle cry.