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Many Miles Away Various Artists |
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If the title doesn't give it away, this is in fact a collaboration of various unsigned and Indie-based bands doing their take on the music of The Police. Not meant as a "tribute" in the traditional and sugar-coated sense of Pop worship, the tunes, most expected, a few dead letters, and zero sense of tradition, "Many Miles Away" fits the intent by taking a sharp left from expectancy. Tribute records these days are a dime a dozen which is a surprise to no one on the right side of a pulse, and while the honoring band or artist has the advantage or reworking a title to exhaustion until its right should they opt to do so, there's no real excitement for the fan who nine times out of ten will scowl and prefer the original version anyway. Simply put, The Ed Kemper Trio is not going to do "Next To You" better than The Police did it… Hell even Sting himself can't bring back the same dignity to the originals when he plays 'em solo! There's something to be said for taking the original and making it your own! Local talent prevails for this eleven song presentation, led off with Decembers January doing a fusive-style of "Message In A Bottle;" Blinder, the upstart label's first signing, appears on "Does Everyone Stare" which may leave ya turning back to the old collection to give it another go… lotsa grass grows between now and then, nice job tho. "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" given the plush Folk measure by acoustic-straddling Andrew Wagner, a modern day Simon, Garfunkel and poor man's James Taylor, delivers a decent effort but flat lines after the two minute mark… "Truth Hits Everybody" is the biggest highlight here. Daryl, an inspired, edgy post-Alternative Rock mix hits hard seconds in, takes the weight off the previously slumped shoulders caused by the momentary laziness a song or two earlier, and picks up the pace, restoring some of my lost virtue in cover song viability! The Paper Chase, bad television show, bad version of "Wrapped Around Your Finger," a confusingly sampled mess with a whiny chorus… Hey, points for outrageousness, but it's an over and out proposition for those not yet suffering nerve damage. "King Of Pain" closes the set in classy fashion with female-fronted Lesliwood doing an inspired job that's originally pure yet identifiably fresh before going off in this lopsided, loopy, left of center direction that's at once relaxing, and soon turns disturbing before drifting into the clouds that suddenly block out the black-spotted sun. Comparing Lesliwood to Tori Amos would not be a stretch here-soothing, sultry, unexpectedly sadistic. Eleven bands, eleven reworked Police cuts-some work, some don't. They're all different, most defy expectation and all things considered, amazing this hasn't happened more often since it's long been accepted that they'll never happen again! Released by Solarmanite Records Review by Vinnie Apicella
[va85@columbia.edu] |