Dig These Discs :: Oh Land, Ellie Goulding, Heidecker & Wood

America is being invaded by a pair of European songbirds looking to make a splash with their new albums, both of which have scored in their home lands. The girls, Oh Land and Ellie Goulding, are similar but at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Also releasing their first album is Heidecker and Wood, who are making either a musical homage or a solid parody album to that of the soft rock of the 1970s. Each of these acts are making a first attempt at getting American's attention with mixed results between the trio.

Oh Land - Oh Land

Singer Nanna Oland Fabricius, known as Oh Land, is returning with a new self-titled album. Oh Land began as a ballet dancer in the Royal Danish and Royal Swedish Ballet schools, which plays into the whimsical sounds that traipse in and out of the album. The singer is reminiscent of early Bjork with a dash of Nelly Furtado with music that is feels like pure fantasy

One problem with the album is that it is entirely forgettable. The tunes are very low-key and even songs like "We Turn It Up" which could be an anthem in other hands, has barely any impact here. Within a half hour of completing the album, "We Turn it Up" is unfortunately the only song you may remember.

Ellie Goulding - Lights

On her debut album, singer Ellie Goulding has the opposite problem as Oh Land. Though many of the songs on "Lights" are repetitive and appear to be quite simplistic, they definitely stay with you. This difference, in part, is due to the composition of the songs. The electro-pop music gives the songs a jolt that her soft, hypnotizing voice is missing.

Goulding, who co-wrote all of the songs on the album except for the cover of Elton John's "Your Song," finds herself in a predicament. While she is definitely a talented singer, her voice doesn't stand out. The lyrics are repetitive in many of the songs. But the way the songs are put together, they are catchy and fun to listen. Including "Your Song" to close the album feels out of place as it is the slowest of all the tracks, making sure that it sticks out, and it's not really suited for her voice. She would have been better to just leave it off and forge ahead with only ten tracks.

Heidecker and Wood - Starting from Nowhere

Consisting of Tim Heidecker and Davin Wood, creator and composer of "Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!," Heidecker and Wood are releasing their first album. The album is a throwback to the easy listening music of the 1970s.

On the surface the songs sound like something that could play on the radio after some Steely Dan or even Starland Vocal Band's "Afternoon Delight." But much like how "Afternoon Delight" has a much less sanitary meaning, the songs of Heidecker and Wood are offering an underlying dose of dry sense of humor over the course of "Starting from Nowhere."

The duo's approach is sincere, but it's hard to tell if they are doing homage or a really good parody. Making the waters a little murkier is the applause heard at the start of the album, despite it not being a live album. Regardless of what they are trying to do with the album, Heidecker and Wood are creating some music that is as good to listen to as the music that inspires it.