Often, cover songs are a musician's way to pay homage to an artist that had some sort of major influence on them, but that doesn't exactly seem to be the case on Los Angeles band Slothrust's new album, Show Me How You Want It to Be. It's a compilation of covers of popular songs that appear to be picked almost at random.
The album starts off strongly with "Sex and Candy," originally performed by Marcy Playground. It's haunting and raw, closely comparable to the original but threaded with Slothrust's signature smoky grunge. It's an effective way of drawing listeners in for the rest of the album, where Black Sabbath, Louis Armstrong, the Turtles, Al Green and Sam Cooke are all featured — maybe for the first time ever on the same tracklist. The real odd one out is their cover of Britney Spears' "Baby One More Time," but it's also the most compelling performance here, mixing nostalgia with modern grunge, all the while complicated by lead singer Leah Wellbaum's androgynous vocals.
Show Me How You Want It to Be proves Slothrust's musical artistry, creativity and ability to take something familiar, deconstruct it and make it new again. For Slothrust, a cover isn't just a once-in-a-while treat, but an opportunity to flex their skills and decipher a concrete brand.
(Dangerbird)The album starts off strongly with "Sex and Candy," originally performed by Marcy Playground. It's haunting and raw, closely comparable to the original but threaded with Slothrust's signature smoky grunge. It's an effective way of drawing listeners in for the rest of the album, where Black Sabbath, Louis Armstrong, the Turtles, Al Green and Sam Cooke are all featured — maybe for the first time ever on the same tracklist. The real odd one out is their cover of Britney Spears' "Baby One More Time," but it's also the most compelling performance here, mixing nostalgia with modern grunge, all the while complicated by lead singer Leah Wellbaum's androgynous vocals.
Show Me How You Want It to Be proves Slothrust's musical artistry, creativity and ability to take something familiar, deconstruct it and make it new again. For Slothrust, a cover isn't just a once-in-a-while treat, but an opportunity to flex their skills and decipher a concrete brand.