"Coco" by Colbie Caillat; Universal Republic

Newcomer Colbie Caillat, in one of the year's most impressive bows for a debut artist, showcased how to sell music in the new world without traditional support. The radio dial is out; MySpace and iTunes are in.

The Malibu pop singer-songwriter, daughter of noted producer/engineer Ken Caillat, rode a wave of interest from MySpace (13 million song plays) and iTunes (free "Bubbly" single and a slashed price for her album) to score a No. 5 entry on The Billboard 200.

Not a bad commercial showing for an album of low-key pop.

Too low-key, in fact. Caillat, 22, has an agreeable, not distinctive voice, and her laid-back music drifts by in a sound-alike haze. Listeners looking for a female counterpart to sleepy surfer Jack Johnson may want to cart "Coco" to the beach, but, aside from the catchy "Midnight Bottle," little of "Coco" leaves an impression aside from the smart marketing.

Pod Pick: "Midnight Bottle."

"Planet Earth" by Prince; NPG/Columbia

Prince can be strikingly brilliant and infuriatingly awful. "Planet Earth," the latest from the prolific pop star, is neither.

What it is is the most straightforward, song-oriented, pop-friendly album Prince has made in more than a decade.

Unlike some of the formless funk he's released on recent albums "Musicology" and "3121," the tuneful, catchy "Planet Earth" draws you back in spite of itself.

Lean at 45 minutes and 10 tracks, "Planet Earth" strives to remind fans of '80s-era Prince (Wendy and Lisa of his '80s band The Revolution are back).

As a playboy with a falsetto on this CD's series of bedroom ballads, Prince, at 49, still blows away posers.

The new music may not have the sweet smell of Prince's best, but it's also hard to resist.

Pod Picks: "Chelsea Rodgers," "The One U Wanna C."