A couple days ago we told you about Mayer Hawthorne’s new covers EP and now he’s dropped the whole set for free. It’s called Impressions (though, ironically, they’re not one of the R&B groups he covers). Over six tracks, the Detroit producer-turned-singer positions himself as an archivist par excellence, digging up forgotten cuts from yesteryear (The Festivals’ “You’ve Got the Makings of a Lover”) and nodding to peer funk revivalists (Chromeo’s “Don’t Turn the Lights On”).
“[It’s] my favorite track from Chromeo’s latest LP,” Hawthorne told Chrome Music about the latter. “On the surface it’s an electro-funk, dance floor filler, but underneath is a brilliant love ballad with lyrics that reminded me of something from Tyrone Davis. Dave 1 (of Chromeo) told me the song is about a guy who falls in love with a ghost, so I wanted my version to have an eerie, ghostly feel to it. Quincy McCrary played the creepy piano solo at the end.”
We’ll have a full album review next week, but download the full album for yourself now. We’ve got the aforementioned preview cuts below (plus “Mr. Blue Sky” over here) along with the full tracklist.
MP3: Mayer Hawthorne – You’ve Got the Makings of a Lover (The Festivals cover)
[audio: News0511/12YouveGottheMakingsofaLover.mp3|artists=Mayer Hawthorn|titles=Youve Got the Makings of a Lover]
MP3: Mayer Hawthorne – Don’t Turn the Lights On (Chromeo cover)
[audio: News0511/12DontTurntheLightsOn.mp3|artists=Mayer Hawthorn|titles=Dont Turn the Lights On]
Impressions: The Covers EP Tracklist
1. Work to Do (The Isley Brothers cover)
2. Don’t Turn the Lights On (Chromeo cover)
3. You’ve Got the Makings of a Lover (The Festivals cover)
4. Fantasy Girl (Steve Salazaar cover)
5. Little Person (Jon Brion cover)
6. Mr. Blue Sky (ELO cover)
Download the full Impressions EP here. Read Hawthorne’s track-by-track notes over at Chrome Music.
