Is it me, or has almost every single Eminem album wound up being released early? Breaking from the tradition of having new music come out on Tuesday (I wonder why that started), “Recovery”, along with a healthy bunch of other new albums, arrives a day early. Most people who have gotten the chance to sample Em’s latest say that it’s a return to form. It’s certainly Eminem’s most contemporary sounding albums, with production from the likes of Just Blaze and Boi-1Da and collaborations with P!nk and Rihanna. If Em can sell 2 million copies of a piece of crap like “Relapse”, he might just be able to come all the way back with this new joint.

One act that’s never had to worry about falling off is The Roots. These guys have been in the game for almost two decades and haven’t made a wack record yet. The long-anticipated “How I Got Over” arrives in stores today, and I’m practically salivating at the thought of coming home with this baby in my hands. The guests run the gamut from indie-pop supergroup Monsters of Folk to neo-soul ambassador John Legend. I say a lot about high expectations, but I fully expect this album to be my favorite record of 2010 so far, and I’ve barely heard a note!

That’s just the tip of the iceberg, ladies and gentlemen. Legendary keyboardist Herbie Hancock follows up his Grammy-winning Joni Mitchell tribute album with “The Imagine Project”, an album that features vocals from P!nk (she’s everywhere these days), John Legend (ditto), Seal, and a variety of international artists. There’s also “The Sellout”, the fifth studio album by Macy Gray, which I reviewed over on Popdose last week. Glenn Danzig returns after a six-year layoff with “Deth Red Sabaoth”, and Miley Cyrus skanks it up with her new album “Can’t Be Tamed”. Ozzy’s back with “Scream”, and there are also new albums from Aussie chill-pop chanteuse Sia and blues-rockers Robert Randolph and the Family Band.

As always, get this week’s entire list of new releases and lists of new releases to come on Pause and Play.