1 – U Mad – Vic Densa – With Kanye West and a trombone hook and a sense of moment that song seems to be signify more than the self-realization and conflict of the lyric reads like a bizarre diary entry. It is yet another direction for hip hop and the gifted Mensa, consider the West verse another gift – B+
2 – American Oxygen – Rihanna – Signifies much more than it realizes, it sounds like a statement song though it doesn’t have a thought in its head – B
3 – Die With You – Beyonce – Somewhere Whitney is scratching her head and saying “bitch, if you wanna sing a love song remember to write the goddamn song” – C+
4 – Chicago – Sufhan Stevens – There is no doubt Stevens is a big time music guy but this reminds me as to why I am not the fan you are, he is like a mediocre Rufus Wainwright without the operatic tendencies… except the horn break is superb here – B+
5 – Stop – Plain White Ts – If these guys are two hit wonders, a song like this might be able to maneuver a third out of it, ordinary but in a populist way – B-
6 – Ship To Wreck – Florence + The Machine – This is small enough to matter with a big time chorus to bring you in, two out of three on the new songs by my reckoning – B+
7 – Little Lion Man – Mumford And Sons – WHo knew you could miss banjos this much? – B+
8 – Bamboo – Hinds – Sounds like indie lo fi 60s girl girl… via Madrid, but that’s got nothing to do with it – B+
9 – Death With Dignity – Sufjan Stevens – Devastating and beautiful, a huge song on a great album – A
10 – All That – Carly Rae Jensen – Dev Hynes co-wrote this big time ballad, but man does that not help – C+
