Categories : Music Reviews, Rock + Pop.
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Rating: 4/5 Released: May 22, 2007 Reviewer: David Coats |
Do You Trust Your Friends, “a collection of remixes, reinterpretations, and reimaginings of Set Yourself On Fire,†appears on the surface to be a simple remix album meant to keep Stars’ name out there as fans wait for the follow-up to the Arts & Crafts group’s acclaimed 2004 release. The songs from that record are reconfigured by an all-star list of Canadian indie-rock bands. However, it is instantly evident that this isn’t like most remix cash grabs, in that it has an undeniable quality and no-holds-barred creative spirit; still, two of the first three remixes are so drastically different that you’re left asking yourself, “I know it’s good, but do I like it?†Then the chorus of Jason Collett’s sauntering funk version of ‘Reunion’ starts, and you happily nod your head, completely sold.
Final Fantasy had the toughest job, charged with reimagining SYOF’s best song, ‘Your Ex-Lover Is Dead.’ They – like most of the bands contributing to this – opt to keep Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan’s original vocals, and simply rework the musical accompaniment, a tactic that surprisingly works well throughout. ‘Your Ex-Lover Is Dead’ becomes a delicate orchestral-tinged piano ballad; ‘Set Yourself On Fire,’ redone by Montag, becomes a full-blown, Sufjan-style marching-band-meets-sci-fi romp; The Dears turn ‘What I’m Trying To Say’ into a blistering drum-and-base tour de force; perhaps most surprising is The Most Serene Republic’s acoustic blues version of ‘Ageless Beauty,’ opting for a throwback sound rather than the typical “futuristic†remix.
Stars may have trusted their friends to reinterpret these songs, but their friends seemed to understand the songs perfectly, each managing to make their song their own, but simultaneously retain the spirit of the original. Unique, diverse, and fresh enough to be thought of as a completely new album, this remix album might be as good as the original, and won’t leave your CD player all summer.
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