| Play it loud and play it often: The first volume of Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs' very-cool-indeed Under the Covers series is begging for the hot spot in your CD rotation. Groovy! |
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Matthew Sweet and
Susanna Hoffs
Under the Covers Vol. 1
Shout Factor (2006)
Resurrecting the art of making a record simply, and for no other reason, than just for the fun of it, Matthew Sweet and the Bangles' Susanna Hoffs have enlisted pal and Velvet Crush drummer Ric Menck, along with some of their musician friends, to pay tribute to some of their favorite sixties pop, rock and folk-rock songs. Dubbed Sid 'n' Susie for this splendid occasion, Sweet and Hoffs are the cool kids in the room with the platters that matter, a couple of kindred musical spirits making an album that is guaranteed to smack a smile on your kisser in a heartbeat. Under the Covers Vol. 1 is the perfect summer record for lovers everywhere.
Hoffs' mighty fetching vocals, paired with Sweet's ace pop smarts (and, of course, his instrumental versatility--he plays guitar, bass and keyboards), are topped off with Menck's distinctive bash 'n' pop drumming for a sweet miracle of a record. This is a match made in heaven, a real event for lovers of pop songs the way they used to be written. This is the album that puts the spotlight on the songwriters, and deservedly so--there isn't a naff song in the bunch.
An album like this really is critic proof, especially when the critic is a fan of the songs on offer. Grew up in the sixties like me? Oh my God, are you going to plotz listening to this album!
The cool thing about Sweet and Hoffs' versions of these wonderful, timeless songs is that Sweet and Hoffs aren't trying to recreate the wheel or wrap some inappropriate wise-guy arrangements around them. It's like they're sitting around a campfire with their musician pals, playing these tunes until dawn or at least until the fire goes out. They're certainly adding some extra shine here and there (for example, they rock up Neil Young's "Cinamon Girl"), but this is simply a chance for two pop icons to pay homage to their musical heroes and have a whole lot of fun in the process.
These tunes... Well, they're the toppermost of the poppermost by the greatest songwriters of the pop era: Lennon and McCartney's "And Your Bird Can Sing," Young's "Cinnamon Girl," Mike Nesmith's "Different Drum," Pete Townshend's "The Kids are Alright," Rod Argent's "Care of Cell #44," John Phillips' "Monday, Monday," and The Gibb Brothers' "Run to Me," among others. You're heard these songs, yes? Classics, all.
Okay then, sing along with Sid 'n' Susie, but let them do the heavy lifting. The vocals shine like stars in the night sky on their widescreen version of Brian Wilson's "The Warmth of the Sun." It's like angels singing, really, mighty affecting, with superb background vocal stacks placed perfectly in the quite-alive stereo mix. The mix on all of these songs is fantastic; the stereo field is in full swing at every turn of the disc. Kudos to Sweet, who twiddled the knobs and mixed in full-on, wide-eyed creative mode.
The live strings on Sweet and Hoffs' reverent version of "Monday, Monday" lift this take to a whole other level; it's the Mamas and the Papas for a new generation, and it's quite the groovy thing. On the harmony-laden "Run to Me," not only is Hoffs double-tracked, her voice is bathed in loving echo. The warm call-and-response-style vocals are most effective. On "Different Drum," Hoffs embodies the spirit of the original Linda Ronstadt lead done with the Stone Poneys; the nifty, 3D background vocals and the psychedelic-tinged, wordless middle-eight really drive this one home.
Hoffs and Sweet manage to make the heavier songs sound like a marriage of folk and rock aesthetics. The vocals are pure as pop can get on "The Kids are Alright" and "Cinnamon Girl," even as the beat goes on.
Topped off with witty notes from Sid 'n' Susie for every song, some cool pix of the dynamic duo, and fab packaging design (hey, that's my record player on the cover!), Under the Covers Vol. 1 begs for volume 2, and soon. Seriously, Hoffs and Sweet could make succeeding volumes for 20 years and not hit the bottom of the sixties nuggets barrel. Get your wish lists together, and groove on.
Alan Haber
June 11, 2006
Go to: Sid 'n' Susie