Grant James sifts through new releases each week to bring us some of the good, the bad, and the grating. These are all available at Radio-Active Records. Don’t hold it against them. 

Carly Rae Jepsen, Kiss

Carly Rae Jepsen’s Kiss is exactly what you would expect from the “Call Me Maybe” pop-starlet. With the recently released single “This Kiss,” we see the Canadian Idol finalist’s knack for putting out catchy, high-energy pop. Every track on Kiss feels like a single, which is a big accomplishment when you’re stacked up against the colossal “Call Me Maybe.” The album was influenced by Robyn, Madonna, the Cars, and James Taylor, according to Jepsen. Robyn and Madonna are obvious muses, but James Taylor’s influence emerges on “Beautiful,” a folky duet (and the album’s only ballad) that pairs Carly with Justin Bieber. “Beautiful” represents an unexpected moment on the album, showcasing vocals from both Jepsen and Bieber. Not surprisingly, Kiss gets repetitive, but it becomes a guilty pleasure, so it’s best recognized as opposed to ignored. 3/5 eggs

How to Dress Well, Total Loss

The moniker of Brooklyn-based artist Tom Krell, How to Dress Well released one of the better albums of 2010 with Love Remains, a fuzzy, ethereal LP of experimental R&B. Sophomore LP, Total Loss, however, carries a heavy sadness, working as both a coping mechanism — Krell’s best friend passed just after the release of Love Remains – and as a personal message to his friend’s grieving mother. Listening to Total Loss makes evident that Krell has lost something dear. Heavy drums and minimal, ethereal synths complement Tom’s beautiful falsetto, giving the album a beautiful yet haunting neo-soul feel. Although Total Loss feels like a grievance, it is also hopeful. On closing track “Ocean Floor For Everything,” there is some closure for Krell; “we’ve got feeling/got strength/and got the right thing for each other/there’s an ocean floor for everything/for me/the sun/and he gone.” 4/5 eggs

Kreayshawn, Somethin’ Bout Kreay

The release of last year’s “Gucci Gucci” was hilarious. Was “Gucci Gucci” the best worst song of 2011? Trick question – it’s actually a three-way tie between “Gucci Gucci,” Rebecca Black’s “Friday,” and “I Need a Doctor” by Dr. Dre. The reason that “Gucci Gucci” was favored by so many (guilty as charged), is that it paired an unlikely white girl rapper from Oakland, Calif., with a bass-ridden, trap-like slow beat. The lyrics and music video might have been ridiculous, but she had a certain charisma. Unfortunately, that charisma is nowhere to be found on Somethin’ Bout Kreay. Recent single “Go Hard” has Kreay talking (not singing, not rapping) her way through a chorus of “la-la-las,” which is one of the worst moments on the album. On “Left Ey3,” Kreay raps “bout to burn this fuckin’ house down like I’m Left Eye,” followed by a few shouts of “rest in peace!” On closing track “Luv Haus,” there is a moment of clarity: It’s possible for bad vocals to sound WORSE with auto-tune. Kreayshawn’s unenthusiastic mumbles might have been cute when there was some bite to it, but on Somethin’ Bout Kreay, the bite has been replaced by an underwhelming sass. 1 egg

P!nk, The Truth About Love

P!nk is essentially the underdog of the pop world. Middle fingers raised to “the man,” P!nk appeals to the everyman/woman. She has sung about getting the party started, broken families, heartbreak, self-doubt, masturbation, and raising your glass. Similarly, single “Blow Me” (from newly released LP The Truth About Love) is sure to conjure a relatable sense of fuck yeah girrrl with lines like “just when it can’t get worse/I’ve had a shit day/you’ve had a shit day/we’ve had a shit day.” On Bubble-gum track “True Love,” featuring a hip-hop twist and guest spot by Lily Allen, P!nk fumes “you’re the only love I’ve ever known/but I hate you/I really hate you so much/I think it must be true love.” Stylistically, The Truth About Love doesn‘t exactly show growth. But while it may not push the envelope, it certainly presents a polished, pop-rock album that’s relatable, and will probably end up sticking like glue. 3.5/5 eggs

Nelly Furtado, The Spirit Indestructible

Nelly Furtado has never really had a clear identity. Is she pop? R&B? Pop rock? Latin pop? I don’t think Furtado herself could tell you. And that’s the problem with The Spirit Indestructible: the album’s identity crisis overshadows any accomplishments (like, for instance, the album’s seriously sharp production). Furtado claims influences for the album included Janelle Monae, the xx, and Florence + the Machine. Yet on lead single “Big Hoops,” she references Salt-N-Pepa, Boyz II Men, and Brandy. She goes through myriad roles, from hip-hop hood-rat, to new-wave synth-pop siren, to disco queen. And then there’s album closer “Believers,” which resembles a Nickelback-esque pop-rock anthem with Furtado pleading for help: “get down and pray/I need someone to save me now/somebody to save me now.” After this album, we should all be praying for Nelly. 2/5 eggs

–Grant James

Carly Rae Jepsen, How to Dress Well, Nelly Furtado