KID CUDI “Pursuit of Happiness”Man on the Moon: The End of the DayPropelled by a mixtape, a killer single­-“Day ‘N’ Nite”-and a Kanye West collaboration, Kid Cudi’s popularity and hype peaked last year. In spite of his debut album dividing critics, its latest single “Pursuit of Happiness” exhibits the promise seen in Cudi. With help from rocktronica duo Ratatat on production, the song is a slick, guitar-laden, undeniably cool affair, and the hooks are huge. Its chorus, complete with MGMT on backing vocals, is one of the catchiest things to hit pop radio this year. What hinders the track are Cudi’s under-polished verses. As a (slightly) more optimistic take on the subject matter of “Day ‘N’ Nite,” Cudi’s lyrics aren’t as compelling here, and at times his rhymes are so simplistic and maudlin they seem to be at odds with the rest of the song.

VAMPIRE WEEKEND “Giving Up the Gun”ContraLike most tracks on Vampire Weekend’s newly released Contra, “Giving Up the Gun” sees the New York four-piece exhibiting their idiosyncrasies-in just four minutes, the band fearlessly applies analog synthesizers, micro-sampling, glockenspiels, sequenced drums and strings to an arena rock template. “Giving Up” doesn’t come off as excessive. Curiously enough, it feels more natural than anything Vampire Weekend has ever recorded. This is partly due to the song’s immaculate construction. “Giving Up” never wanders, and the careful dispersion of its many components combined with singer-guitarist Ezra Koenig’s warm, uplifting vocal makes “Giving Up” a complete package.

DIRTY PROJECTORS“Ascending Melody”Ascending Melody 7″After acting as a staple for their 2009 tour, Dirty Projectors’ “Ascending Melody” finally sees its official release this week. Recorded at the same sessions as last year’s Bitte Orca, the song has a pleasant, island-like vibe and would probably be a great singalong if its vocal timing wasn’t so intricate. The song itself is tracked amusingly-the transitions are playfully loose, guitarist/vocalist Dave Longstreth talks over the beginning of each chorus, and the resulting product sounds fun. Nonetheless, apart from a meditative string break towards its end, there’s not much new here. If you’ve never been fond of the Dirty Projectors’ technical art-pop, “Ascending Melody” won’t convert you.