Written by Kat Cole for MidnightMixtape.com (LINK)
Release date: May 3rd, 2010.
Originally released as an accompanying bonus disc to the special edition of 2003 album ‘Sleeping with Ghosts’, Placebo’s ‘Covers’ finally sees it’s well deserved physical release. Comprised mainly of b-side cover versions from their previously released singles, ‘Covers’ is an accomplished and engaging work which reflects and pays complimentary homage to the bands’ broad musical influences, from the melancholic indie musings of The Smiths (Molko’s nasal-esque, androgynous vocals sees their version of ‘Bigmouth Strikes Again’ as one highlight of the album) to the downright camp-pop styling’s of Boney M (a rocked-up rendition of ‘Daddy Cool’ features). Opening ‘Covers’ is Placebo’s increasingly popular version of Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’, which is a chilling and slow-tempo affair - both beautiful and a whole lot less audibly irritating than the original. The non-revolutionised – but nevertheless enjoyable - cover of ‘Where Is My Mind’ (originally by Pixies) follows, again cementing Placebo’s ability to give justice to their genre-varying musical heroes.
Elsewhere there are adaptations of T. Rex’s ‘20th Century Boy’ and Robert Palmers ‘Johnny And Mary’, the latter perhaps being the best track on the compilation, which fits so well with the band’s own sound that to the uneducated, it could be mistaken as a song penned by Placebo themselves. Also included are refreshing tributes to tracks originally by Depeche Mode, Sinéad O’Connor, Alex Chilton and Serge Gainsbourg. All in all, ‘Cover’s’ (with it’s £6.99 RRP and shear variety) is a worthy purchase for any current Placebo fan missing these covers from their collection, as well as those who just simply love great music. Let’s hope we see another cover album from Placebo in the future (‘Covers – Part 2’?) for fashioning their own interpretations of tunes is an endeavour that they do much better than most.
