Review: Angel Olsen, ‘Aisles’ EP

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Aug 202021
 

It would be easy to assume, on first acquaintance with the Aisles EP, that Angel Olsen is hopping on the bandwagon of artists who’ve found success making slowed-down and sulky covers of iconic ’80s pop tunes. She’s continuing a trend initiated by Gary Jules on “Mad World,” you might think, which M. Ward developed on “Let’s Dance,” Lorde on “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” Kari Kimmell on “Cruel Summer,” and Greg Laswell on (yes, honestly) “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” a brooding version of the Pointer Sisters’ “I’m So Excited” surely just around the corner.

It might also seem that Olsen is tapping into the Stranger Things-assisted revival of analog synthesizers so central to the ’80s sound, which “boy from Michigan” John Grant has done so much to bolster in recent times. But, while there may be some truth in all of this, Olsen is way too singular an artist to be remotely obvious or predictable in her reinterpretations of tracks made famous by Laura Branigan, Billy Idol, Men Without Hats, OMD, and Alphaville.
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Five Good Covers: Enola Gay (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark)

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Sep 152017
 

Five Good Covers presents five cross-genre reinterpretations of an oft-covered song.

enola gay

A discussion about a 1980 synth-pop song that references the atomic bombing of Hiroshima may run the risk of being, unintentionally, too close to current world events. But the popular new wave band who recorded the original version happens to be in the news themselves because of a brand-new studio album, their thirteenth, that dropped on September 1st. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, also known as OMD, formed in 1978 in northwest England. Founding members Paul Humphreys and Andy McCluskey saw their first significant UK and US dance chart success with the release of “Enola Gay.” Named for the plane that dropped the first A-bomb ever dropped on a city, the McCluskey-penned antiwar dance track was the only single from their second album Organisation, and predated the success the band would experience in the late-‘80s with Top 20 hits like “If You Leave,” “Dreaming,” and “(Forever) Live and Die.”

“Enola Gay” has been ranked as one of the greatest songs of the ’80s by NME, and MusicRadar says that “its almost naive arrangement… includes some of the biggest synth hooks of all time.” But it turns out a good cover of “Enola Gay” doesn’t need a synthesizer. As you’ll see, the song has inspired a variety of cross-genre covers well worth sharing…

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Quickies: Sade, True Womanhood, Lenka, Snow & Voices, The Last Royals

 Posted by at 11:00 am  1 Response »
Apr 142011
 

Quickies rounds up new can’t-miss covers. Download ‘em below.

• Despite having only released two albums since 1992, Sade returns with a new greatest hits set. The Ultimate Collection features hits like “Smooth Operator” and “Soldier of Love” alongside new tracks. One is this predictably smooth R&B cover of Thin Lizzy’s “Still in Love with You.”
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Gorillaz, OMD, Various Production Cover the xx

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Nov 222010
 

Who knew Shakira was such an indie trendsetter? Ever since she took on the xx’s “Islands,” hip musicians have been tripping over themselves to follow suit. Admittedly, only the Pretty Reckless chose the same track, but still, we like to think Shaki’ had something to do with the xx cover flood.

The latest crop of xx covers comes from three unlikely sources. Over the weekend, Damon Albarn led Gorillaz on a piano-and-xylophone “Crystalised.” Watch a video of that one below. Then keep the dark mood going with OMD’s slow-jammed “VCR” and Various Production’s dubstepped-out “Infinity.” Continue reading »