Whores / Rabbits

The Cure Covers 7”

BY Natalie Zina WalschotsPublished Feb 18, 2014

7
The Cure may have one of the most-covered musical ouevres out there, and even metal covers of their gothic body of work are not entirely unheard of; noise-rockers Rosetta have covered "Homesick" and atmospheric black metallers Auspicium have produced a re-interpretation of "Disintegration." What sets this three-track split — the collaborative effort of Atlanta, GA's Whores and Portland, OR's Rabbits — apart is the way that both groups allow the original source material to twist their aesthetic as much as their versions of these tracks transform the songs.

Whores' rendition of "Jumping Someone Else's Train" has a thick, syrupy sweetness that is part coagulating blood, part poisoned honey, dragging their usual scalpel sharpness into a wailing viscosity. The pair of tracks that Rabbits contribute, the instrumental "A Reflection" and an urgent, demanding performance of "Give Me It," both balance the weight of the source material against the band's tendency to slash any semblance of ponderousness to bleeding pieces. It's an incredibly productive experiment, something to be appreciated by fans whether they discover the record via their love of the Cure or the bands performing the covers.
(Eolian Empire)

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