Look. Nothing was going to top Songs In The Key of Life, and nothing has topped it. After its massive critical and commercial success, the only place Wonder could go was deep into the dirt. A soundtrack to a now long-lost nature documentary, Plants is not a pop album in the traditional sense; there are very few vocal tracks swimming amongst this digital garden of Wendy Carlos-esque soundscapes, thrilling disco, rubbery funk, and synth orchestras. But it is a truly original album from a true Original—an album whose influence you can feel in modern R&B and electronica. An album too fearless and interesting to stay in the background, and yet its hazy and dense nature makes it difficult to suss out the tiny details. The only way out is through—if you want to get out, that is.