Covered

For a multitude of reasons, covers records can quite often be akin to the work of the Demonic overlord from down below. Usually signaling a lack of ideas or an attempt to jump on the bandwagon of a cool new scene the resulting albums rarely warrant repeat listens. Smoky voiced nu-soul singer Macy Gray’s first covers album on the other hand, is a release that bucks the trend with glee. Opening with a mean and moody interpretation of the Eurythmics’ ‘Here Comes The Rain Again,’ the record succeeds thanks to the quality of the song choices. Wisely showing ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ et al the door, she’s opted for cuts by Arcade Fire (‘Wake Up’), My Chemical Romance (‘Teenagers’) and Metallica (‘Nothing Else Matters’), ripped them apart and sprinkled a large dollop of Macy magic over them and created something entirely new. If her R&B reimagining of Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ ‘Maps’ doesn’t sway you, then nothing will. Worth hearing.