Country's most lauded poet turns down the volume and comes up with a slow, soft album about dark places in the soul. In songs that range from meditations on obsessive relationships to backwoods-style religious devotions, she exposes emotions many listeners keep inside and spins them into music other songwriters wish they had in them. Absolutely essential.
Animated actors dominated the box office, Barry Bonds hit 73 and 'It' turned out to be a scooter. TIME picks the bests and the worsts of this year...