Invasion of the Young British Songbirds: From Lily Allen to Amy Winehouse

The British are coming! Again! Unlike the psychedelic British Invasion of the sixties, this time, they're all cute, pop-singing young women. I like it again already. Though none of these birds are terrible, some are clearly better than the others. They've each got a single or two, but how do their albums compare, and who's got lasting appeal?

The Mediocre:

Kate Nash. From Harrow, England, Kate's debut album Made of Bricks was released August 6, 2007. A singer of fluffy pop songs, her big song is Foundations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Nash

Rihanna. From Barbados but her accent, age and look clearly place her in this group. She's slightly harder than the rest with more of a hip hop sound. Her big song is Umbrella. Very repetitive.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rihanna

Lily Allen. From London, England. Her big single is Smile. Playful and light but not a lot of substance.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lily_Allen

Corrine Bailey Rae. From Leeds, England, her biggest US hit is Put Your Records On from her debut album, Corrine Bailey Rae. Probably the best of the mediocre.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrine_Bailey_Rae

All of these girls are good. But none of them are really stand-outs. If they could get together and form a band, it might be like a modern day, female Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. But individually, their music isn't what you'd leave in the stereo for an extended period of time. One gets the feeling they're being cheeky just for the sake of being cheeky. Overall, their music is over-produced, interchangeable pop. They definitely have potential, but judging from their current work, they haven't reached their full potential yet.

The Superior: