Bruno Mars was riding high when his first album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, was released in late 2010. Indeed, the first single from the album, the lushly romantic “Just the Way You Are,” was topping the singles chart. For the album, Mars worked with a large team of songwriters and producers, but still managed to come up with a record that sounds like it was written and recorded on a warm, sleepy summer Sunday afternoon. The intimate and relaxed feel can be traced to two factors; one, Mars mostly played all the instruments himself, and two, his voice is the kind of smooth instrument that slips into your ear like honey. Most of the tracks on Doo-Wops capture this laid-back groove, especially “The Lazy Song” and the reggaefied midnight love jam “Our First Time.” – Tim Sendra