Wow. Talk about a follow-up!
Technically, The Bird and the Bee’s latest release, Interpreting the Masters, Vol. 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates, could take up a couple of months’ worth of Covers Revue. But this full album of Hall & Oates covers is too amazing to not feature in our Album Review section.
You know from previous reviews and mentions on ETS that Mailo and I are big fans of this electro-pop/indie duo. In fact, I think Mailo kisses a poster of Inara George every night … Don’t quote me on that, though.
We first got a tease of this album about a year ago when Greg Kurstin and Inara George covered “Sara Smile” on KCRW. In fact, the song was the inaugural Cover Revue! I loved the song so much and to hear this entire album gives me the chills every time!
The album starts off with “Heard it on the Radio.” This song is amazing! The very first time I heard this song, I immediately thought, “Album of the Year!” That’s right; not song of the year. ALBUM of the year, based on this song alone. The first track of the record sets the pace with an upbeat tempo that has a light disco/retro 80’s guitar sound to it. Lead Singer Inara George’s voice is soft and almost at a whisper at times, but it contrasts with the song perfectly. My favorite part is the chorus which has that 80’s guitar I mentioned above and George’s harmonies are music to my ears. The more of her voice I get to hear, the better!
“Rich Girl” wasn’t my favorite track at first, but it grew on me like a bad wart! It starts off very slow thanks to the electronic effects that slowly dance around the track. George’s voice is a little stronger in this track, which is great because you really get to focus in on her vocal talents! She really has so much range and though people may not consider her voice “special,” there’s just something there that charms your pants off!
The Bird and the Bee then revisit their cover of (obviously) my favorite Hall & Oates song, “Sara Smile.” When I first wrote about this track, we only had the live version but the studio version is at a whole other level! I thought I fell in love when she sang my name before? This song got me completely obsessed! The simple drum beat and toy-sounding piano are pretty light throughout the song but build up to a chorus that’s full of back-up singing that reminds me of that slow, black-and-white doo-wop era. The choruses are what make this song, and not just because my name can be heard throughout. These are the places where all the music lies and where George’s voice is really hypnotizing!
Of course, we can’t forget “Maneater”! The Hall & Oates’ version sounds to me like it’s a little faster than the Bird and the Bee’s version, but maybe because the song sounds pretty simple for the most part during the verses. A ghostly keyboard wafts through the choruses and the electronic drums have this happy-go-lucky beat to them, giving the song a unique sound.
Overall, the album somehow keeps its Hall & Oates era feel while implementing almost an infinite amount of effects. Though it’s still fairly early in the year, I’m confident that The Bird and the Bee will end up AT LEAST in the top three with Interpreting the Masters, Vol. 1: A Tribute to Hall & Oates!
Buy the album at our record store on Amazon
Here are some other pages on EnterTheShell.com that you might really like!
- Album Review – Doo Wops & Hooligans by Bruno Mars
- Artist of the Week – Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
- Album Review – A Strange Arrangement by Mayer Hawthorne
- Covers Revue – Ben L’Oncle Soul covers The White Stripes
- Artist of the Week – Lee Fields & the Expressions
You can quote that, not only do I kiss my Inara poster, but I also lick it, just to make sure! Inara is my favorite female singer of all-time and she is super cool too! Amazing album, and you’re right on with Album of the Year so far!