Coverlove, striking again. I just recently attended a hideously kick-ass Grouplove show in Columbia, marking my third time seeing them since 2011. Quick disclaimer: I will always have some bias weaved into any reviews of their work. That being said, other than a couple of minor pitfalls on their recently released sophomore album Spreading Rumours, Grouplove usually does a fantastic job of producing skillfully crafted ear-candy for all demographics (ergo, not much bias needed. They fucking rule).
But anyways! I’m straying! The last two Grouplove shows I attended had setlists jam-packed with mostly originals, but with a few covers interwoven into the mix. They conquered Yonce’s “Drunk in Love” and devoured “Baba O’ Riley,” (with the help of opener Portugal. The Man) as their strategically-placed closer. My point: they know what they’re doing and they know how to do it, so recently, Grouplove teamed up with Spotify to create a poll on what cover they should record and post to demonstrate their cover skills.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/grouplove-team-with-spotify-for-covers-project-20130919
The conclusive winner of the contest was the 1964 Beach Boys hit, “Don’t Worry Baby,” a catchy, Frankie-Valli-esque composition that was a low key fan-favorite at the time of its release. Grouplove has adopted this song as one would adopt a little puppy. You pick it up, you hold it, it nibbles your finger, you tell it ‘No’. Gradually, as the puppy becomes a dog, it grows accustomed to doing what you ask and eventually takes on the traits of its owner (i.e. Cooper has begun staring blankly at us when we ask him to move, a trademark aspect of my mothers personality). Grouplove has taken “Don’t Worry Baby” and created an entirely different entity, while still preserving the most important aspects of the Beach Boys’ music; falsetto harmonies, a dreamy backtrack, and some rad guitar thrown in just for fun. Although I hate the incessant repetition of “Don’t worry baby, don’t worry bay-ay-by,” the production and arrangement are both masterfully handled so that the listeners can hold on to the mood of the original but can still enjoy something that resembles a newly-put-forth single. It’s not boring, and it’s very Grouplove.
And DAMN, that electric guitar additive. It’s sick. Hearken. Go. Do it.
CooperCrater: reviews, fans, frenchies 