Cover albums can sometimes be an odd phenomenon. Because when an artist gets the freedom to fuck up his favourite songs, the strangest things can happen. I mean, who did actually understand what Martin Gore had in mind when he made the mini album "Counterfeit ep"? And Jared Louche, frontman of American crossover act Chemlab, certainly isn't predictable when picking his darlings for the solo album "Covergirl".
Actually, the day that you will once again find songs from Air, P.I.L. and Frank Sinatra on the same album, is the day when you'll find Steven Segal taking a golden shower in a transsexual porno movie.
But the result of this unlikely mixture is sometimes very compelling. The minimalistic touch of Roxy Music's "In Every Dreamhome a Heartache" truly gives you the chills while the second, mind blowing version (there are actually two!) of Air's "Sexy Boy" could just as well been rearranged by excellent neo kraut rockers Trans Am. And P.I.L.'s "Poptones" is successfully mutated into a bizarre waltz.
At the same time you get very dispensable versions of Iggy Pop's "Sister Midnight" and Leonard Cohen's "Famous Blue Raincoat". Frank Sinatra's "Summer Wind" is also seriously violated and could instead be a rather natural part of Pet Shop Boys' (presumably horrible) upcoming musical.
To be honest I still can't really figure this album out - but in some way I do believe I'm impressed.

ERIK ALMGREN