here they are:
"Every Songbird Says" by Sam Beam and Jesca Hoop: This is probably the first Sam Beam song in which Sam actually goes by "Sam Beam" instead of "Iron & Wine". This is also a song in which Sam goes back to his Iron & Wine roots, opting for a pure acoustic song instead of one of the more experimental percussion-driven numbers he's attempted on his past few albums. The lyrics of "Every Songbird Says" are also less complex than most IAW songs as well. It is a love song, pure and simple, that seemed like it was specifically designed for Sam and Jesca to duet on even though they're not a couple (Sam's wife is a woman named Kim). A charming and lovely duet nonetheless, though.
"Water" by Ra Ra Riot: Ra Ra Riot are like a lesser-known Arcade Fire in that their musical arrangements and instrumentation tend to vary from song to song. The last song Ra Ra Riot had a hit with, "Boy", was part baroque-pop and part Police-ish fusion of reggae and rock. "Water" is more driven by piano than it is by orchestral instruments. A more synth-y sound makes its way towards the middle of the song and stays there from that point on. Imagine if Foster the People attempted to do a '90s trip-hop style song and you'd probably get a good idea of what "Water" sounds like. The lyrics of "Water" tend to be about trying to escape the harshness and boredom of everyday life, with the title of the song being a metaphor for "cleansing" oneself of daily responsibility.
