here they are:
“Nothing to Hide” by Diego Garcia: Every song Diego has done is one he has poured his heart and soul into, but so far, none have done so like “Nothing to Hide”! Its sound suggests that of an orchestral version of R.E.M.’s “Man On the Moon” (and of Cowboy Junkies’ even more emotionally aching “Angel Mine”). No percussion, synthesizers or electric guitars to be found here! Just the winsome, sweeping sound of acoustic guitar and a string orchestra to support the guitar! Well, that, and Diego’s tender vocals, and tell-it-like-it-is lyrics (you can’t get more “tell it like it is” than “In my heart, I’ve got nothing to hide”, can you?!) “Nothing to Hide”’s instrumentation is stark, but its overall sound is complete nonetheless! Nothin’ like a Diego Garcia song to tug at the ol’ heartstrings, eh?!
“Oh Susannah” by Neil Young: Neil Young is heavily influenced by folk music, and this is a cover of a beloved American folk song. But don’t expect your ears to be soothed when you listen to this version of “Oh Susannah”. Neil rocks it once again here, turning what was once a gentle song with a benign enough melody to make it suitable for a children’s song into a powerful, jammin’ rock ‘n’ roll anthem!! He tweaks the lyrics a little here, too, turning the “Banjo on my knee” part into “B-A-N-J-O on my knee” (spelling out the word “banjo”, as opposed to just saying it). Perhaps not the best song if you’re a folk music “traditionalist”, but for the classic rock fans, as well as those who are looking to expand their musical vocabulary, Neil Young’s take on “Oh Susannah” is well worth the listen!!
“Trojans” by Atlas Genius: Pleasant folk-rock and funky, spacey new wave collide in the latest (and first) song to get noticed from indie-pop-sters Atlas Genius (not to be confused with fellow alt/indie-rockers Atlas Sound). In addition to having an odd sound and a weird band name, the lyrics to this song are equally cryptic (someone please explain what, “Your Trojan’s in my head” is supposed to mean!!) On the plus side, though, the song is catchy, and the rhythm is straightforward. There’s no surprise dips into what seems like a completely different song during the middle part, so it keeps pretty consistent throughout. If anyone has ever heard “Cool For Cats” by the new wave band, Squeeze, “Trojans” actually sounds a lot like that, only with acoustic guitar as the backing instrument instead of piano. A funky, disco-in-space sounding electric guitar throbs at the heart of “Trojans”, which is probably the catchiest element about this song!
“Used to Rule the World” by Bonnie Raitt: Since Bonnie’s last successful song was a cover of a Gerry Rafferty song, I was thinking that maybe this was a cover of Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” under a different name (like how Johnny Cash’s “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” was a cover of Moby’s “Run On” under a different name). Boy was I wrong (and I’m glad I was!) “Used to Rule the World” is a blues-y vamp, recalling the faster, grittier side of Raitt’s catalog. Many of the songs on Bonnie Raitt’s latest CD, “Slipstream”, are cover songs, but (as far as I know) this one isn’t. Once again, I think this proves that Bonnie is the best when she sticks to her own material!
