Various – Redrawn: A Tribute to The Pencils
Tribute albums can be a little bit pedestrian. After all, the original recordings are almost always better than the covers. The originals have a certain urgency the covers can rarely muster. And when we’ve never heard of the band being covered, it usually isn’t very promising. Redrawn: A Tribute to The Pencils is an exception to this rule.
The Pencils’ total output isn’t extensive so a tribute CD is kind of a strange idea. That is, until one hears the material for the first time. “Redrawn” consists of 23 songs, each Pencils original having at least two versions by two different bands. I enjoyed every cover – both versions of every song. The material is just THAT good.
The Greatest Band You Never Heard?
The roster of bands involved is impressive. The Jetz cover “I Won’t Lie” with a decidedly new wave vibe. Automat gives “If You Really Wanna Hurt Somebody” an early Beatles spin while Brent Seavers turns “Watching The Tears” into a superb jangle-fest.
The understated delivery of “Paper Heart” makes Moon Dancer really stand out. Hear Jim Trainor sing “You Say You” will take you right back to Squeeze circa 1985. Other highlights include ThreeLeggedDDog with “Pictures of Paris” and Ex Norwegian with “Thin White Lies”.
As I had mentioned earlier, every track is terrific on this tribute. That being the case, the version you choose as your favorite may differ depending on taste. There are noteworthy contributions by The Glad Machine, Nick Frater, DoublePlusPop, The Poppermost and more.
Songs such as “You Say You” and “Thin White Lies” are instant classics. I’m seriously wondering how I could have missed these guys – and how the music world could have blinked on The Pencils back in the day.
Get Redrawn: A Tribute to The Pencils at Kool Kat
The Pencils clearly had the songs. And with the impressive talent involved in this project, they make the material really shine. If it’s first rate power pop you crave, Redrawn: A Tribute to The Pencils will scratch that itch and then some. Get your copy of this marvelous tribute at Kool Kat Musik.
