1. Brake – WZRD – After dismissing the album out of hand as gloomy soundscapes, I noticed the album was in at an astounding # 3 on the Hot 100. It still sounds like doomy soundscapes but doomy sounscapes off a hit album are always going to be more interesting. Grade: B
2. When Love Comes Knocking At Your Door – The Monkees – From their masterful sophomore effort, a daydream belief for teenage girls. Grade: A
3. This Wheels On Fire – Brian Auger And The Trinity – Another Dylan cover jump starts an English trio from back in the 1960s. Then they appeared on a Monkees special… Grade: A
4. Augustine – We Are Augustines – This is related to American indie folks like Bon Iver. It works intermittently. Not that keen on the vocalist but those high pitched fellas always drag me. Grade: B
5. Nothing Rhymed – Gilbert O'Sullivan – He couldn't get off his platform boots and become what he should have been, a reply to Elton John. This is off an excellent, newly compiled, greatest hits. Grade: A
6. New York Banker – Todd Snider – Todd's a talented fellow and something rhymed well. Plus the chorus, "good things happen to bad people" is funny enough. But it is all very, very obvious. There has to be a way to write about the great recession but I haven't seen it yet. Grade: B
7. The Fighter – The Fray – The Fray exist to make everybody else look good. Grade: C
8. Favorite Ghodt – Team Me – It's like being smothered to death by a tea cosy. Grade: B
9. Kinda Girl You Are – Kaiser Chiefs – Nice dynamics, good production, the song is a little lame. Grade: B+
10. Sophia – Laura Marling – Grade: A+