Pop Blitz 4/6/11

Noah & The Whale - L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.
I've been very much enjoying this band's reinvention as a slick, melodic aor rock act. This isn't one of my favorites from the album, but it's got a laid-back nostalgic sound. B+

Usher - More
Usher delves even further into club sounds, and this is one of his strongest singles in years. It's very Taio Cruz, which means it's gonna sound old fast, but for now I'm enjoying this. B+

Pitbull - Hey Baby (Drop It To The Floor)
Empty calories. I'm not a fan of the heavily distorted vocals that make up the chorus to this. Pitbull's part is passable, but I don't think this is all that memorable. C

Alexis Jordan - Good Girl
There's something refreshing about Jordan's simple, airy pop. The drums on this are fantastic, but on the whole it's not as strong as her debut. The chorus is pretty strong, though. B+

Mumford & Sons - The Cave
Melodically, this is like a slowed down version of their last single. It's a nice, strummy, Summer-sounding single. Very pleasant, but I'm already a little sick of it. B

Willow Smith - 21st Century Girl
Not a bad song, necessarily, but the delivery is very annoying and the lyrics are just ridiculous given who the singer is. Give this to Rihanna, switch it up a bit, and it could be pretty good. B-

The Strokes - Under Cover Of Darkness
Their much-lauded return to form kicks off with this pleasant, jangly single. They've had stronger, for sure. I love the sound of it, but there isn't really much of a hook beyond the guitars. B-