“This regular feature will review new songs available on the iTunes music store. The songs are chosen only from the new releases, not necessarily new singles heard on the radio. Ratings are based on one to five stars, just as they would be reviewed on iTunes.”
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This regular feature will review new songs available on the iTunes music store. The songs are chosen only from the new releases, not necessarily new singles heard on the radio. Ratings are based on one to five stars, just as they would be reviewed on iTunes.

The Afters – Never Going Back to OK

The title track of this album is an upbeat hard alternative song, similar to Weezer songs of recent.

Lead singer Joshua Havens’ vocals are strong and impressive, and the lyrics begin melancholic but the chorus and later verses reveal a more uplifting tale of achieving greatness and not wanting to go back to how things once were.

The guitars and synths are a bit repetitive and take away some of the emotion and flavor the vocals bring, but there is just enough variation between chorus, verse and bridge that the song ties together well enough.

The band, formed from co-workers at a Texan Starbucks coffee house, is a Christian rock group formerly known as Blisse.

Their song is neither preachy nor is it the lighter fare one would find on The Fish.

Goldfrapp- Happiness

Alison Goldfrapp’s ghostly vocals on this electronic song are mesmerizing, and Will Gregory’s synths are well balanced to heighten the band’s namesake’s talents to be the focus of this tune.

The song’s style falls somewhere between the softer side of Björk and the solo career of Ric Ocasek.

At points, it seems the singer is singing to another figure, both played by Goldfrapp, trying to determine the meaning of what makes someone happy, until the crescendo that feels too much like a Disney musical number with synthesizers and a tambourine.

A little too eclectic for many people’s tastes, but British electronica fans may find solace in this song.

Janet Jackson –

Feedback

Janet Jackson propels herself ahead of her earlier 2000 works in this sexy dance number.

The soothing, sensuous lyrics she whispers over the poppy beat are wonderful.  The singer calls to all her fans, regardless of race, to help her define herself, her looks, her dance, everything.

Though the song is repetitive toward the end, this barely detracts from Jackson’s ability to keep the listener interested in her requests to better herself.

The beat is well constructed and minimal compared to her voice.

Usher & Young Jeezy – Love in This Club

A rhythmic love song that has trouble finding its proper tempo, this duet has difficulty finding its purpose.

Usher’s vocals are slow, then immediately rush through in the same verse, spanning octaves in some instances, while Young Jeezy’s raps are misplaced in this song.

Separately, the two may have worked, but the colaboration weakens their talents.

Perhaps it’s just that a soulful vocalist and a gravely voiced rapper do not make a proper duet, but this song is a mess of musical styles.

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