Labels: Polyvinyl
Review by: Andy Malcolm
Get in with your cover versions of 80’s pop! The mighty Braid, and the rockin’ Burning Airlines have combined to produce a stomping split single here. The Airlines opt to cover Echo & The Bunnymen on “Back Of Love” (not that I’ve ever heard the original mind), and have come up with a toe tapping effort with lots of bouncy, indie rock and a tune that wouldn’t have been so far out of place on the Jets to Brazil album. The guitar sound veers from slightly emo to punky (sounds just like Foil at some points) and off to poppy indie rock, as Robbins and company rock out.
Meanwhile Braid go for “Always Something There To Remind Me”, heh. Can’t remember who did the original, but I can remember how it went. Braid have retained the tune, but dragged the speed down a few notches, before playing it in their own inimitable style. The chorus crunches and squeals, and what was once a breezy pop song has become a real chugfest. The vocals recall You Am I’s Tim Rogers. Deconstruction and reconstruction.
Not the best of introductions to either band, but a must have for fans or people who just like strange cover versions.