Album Details

• Artist: Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs
• Album: Under The Covers Vol. 2
• Label:
• Year of Release: 2009
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: tosnob on 2009-08-11

Under The Covers Vol 2 is not going to surprise anyone. The pair hand picked some of the biggest easy rock hits of the '70s and tossed in a couple of deeper tracks to come up with another super sugary pop rock set. With legends like George Harrison, John Lennon, and Derek & the Dominoes getting the cover treatment, the pair don't shy away from iconic songs.

Of course when you take a duo that is renowned for their killer harmonies and give them some of the most melodic tunes ever written as material, it's not hard to figure out what the results will be. Their cover of The Raspberries' "Go All The Way" is so saccharine you run the risk of diabetes just from listening.

Not every shot is a winner. For example, the cover of Mott The Hopple's "All The Young Dudes" is a disorganized and scattered mess, while Lennon's "Gimme Some Truth" is a little too hard for this set.

Hoffs makes up for that with a slightly twangy vocals which transform "You're So Vain" and "Maggie Mae" into near alt.country ditties.

This time around there are a couple of special guest appearances. Mick Fleetwood sits in with Sweet and Hoffs on a rendition of Fleetwood Mac's "Second Hand News". Yes' Steve Howe pitches in for a cover of their "I've Seen All Good People".

While I would prefer new material from both, this set of covers is a welcomed distraction from everyday life. Now on with the hooks!

User Reviews and Comments

on 2009-08-12 dscanland Said:

I enjoyed the last Under The Covers. And while Susanna Hoffs and "under the covers" sounds appealing, so does another album of music.
Not Rated