2010
Cover albums are not always my favorite format, but at least Atlas Moth offer theirs as an EP. First up is "Five to one" by the Doors. Choosing to cover the Doors is typical these days, but fortunately Atlas Moth dig deeper in their rendition. The vocals are growling and the build is slow and raw like a huge mechanical beast rising from a long sleep. Not at all a version that's easy to get into the first time. It's a grower, but it's power is in the fact that the band took the time to adapt it to their sound. Next up is "California Dreamin" by the The Mamas & The Papas. If I had heard this a few months I would have been impressed. I say this because just recently I heard a cover of this song by a band called Mississippi Bones. Mississippi Bones slowed it down and heavied it up with a kick in the gut type vibe. Atlas Moth do a similar interpretation and it's good, but much of the surprise factor wasn't there for me because another band beat them to the punch. "Fearless" by Pink Floyd is my favorite cover here in huge part because the Atlas Moth sound very comfortable tackling it. Their knack for building textures comes into play on this track. Last up is a cover of "Golden" by Failure. This is the least interesting cover because they follow the original very closely, but add virtually nothing of themselves to it. All in all a decent covers album.
Covers are a difficult thing to pull off well. If it's a well-known song then you can't be that different with it, but you don't want to hear the exact same song seemingly by a new singer either. You have to find the right blend of new and old - and not alienate your fans in the process.
ReplyDeleteIf you were to cover a lesser known song, or something not close to your genre (as in The Mamas & The Papas) then you have a little more freedom in your representation of that song. Hell if you do it well enough people might think you were the first to record it ("Hurt" by Johnny Cash, "Cum On Feel The Noize" by Quite Riot, and "Blinded By The Light" by Manfred Mann all come to mind).
Good post, I love a good cover so I'll definitely be checking this one out when I can.