Wind It Up by Gwen Stefani, the first single off upcoming album The Sweet Escape

I heard the debut of Gwen's single on the radio while driving to work. The radio! When did top 40 radio last hold me captive?

Unlike in a certain Christina's autumn hit, the samples in "Wind It Up" - magnificently recontextualized yet still tinged with nostalgia - actually go somewhere.

This song lifts me up.

Uplifting!

In My Room by Sagittarius from the 1969 album The Blue Marble

Most of us are familiar with the Beach Boys' harmonies.

In the Sagittarius version, it's the counterpoint - the string arrangement - that swoops in, luscious and unexpected. When I listen to this song, I hold a little breath in anticipation of those strings, like waiting for a first date to slowly, slyly slip his hand over yours in a dark movie theater.