Black Milk’s latest album is as bold as its title. While the producer’s previous efforts built on the smoky, subdued sound of Detroit figureheads Slum Village, Album of the Year busts that template wide open with live instrumentation and incendiary drumming. “Over Again” and “Black and Brown” blend Milk’s studio wizardry with instrumental contributions from the Will Sessions Band, a young nine-man ensemble from Detroit. The sharp, relentless flows of Royce Da 5’9’ and Elzhi are perfectly suited to Milk’s beats, as is Danny Brown, a young Detroit MC who crushes “Black and Brown” like an unhinged version of Andre 3000. From a lyrical standpoint, Album of the Year contains Milk’s most intense work to date. The album’s centerpiece is “Distortion,” a viscous funk ritual that allows Milk to vent about the death of his close friend Baatin. As both a producer and lyricist Milk is reaching higher ground, but the secret weapon of Album of the Year is undoubtedly drummer Daru Jones. His brickbat beats are the emotional core in “Distortion,” “Keep Going,” “Oh Girl” and “Round of Applause.”