Tiny Cities
Isaac Brock--the singer, guitarist and leader behind the enormously popular alt-pop actModest Mouse--would be few people's first choice for a covers album. But that is part of the genius behind this surprisingly excellent album. Sun Kil Moon leader Mark Kozelek's own recorded cover choices in the past--Kiss,Simon and Garfunkel,AC/DC, and most successfullyJohn Denver--hew far closer to the traditional indie approach to covers: a semi-ironic, studied transformation of a tune into something it wasn't before. With Sun Kil Moon's breezy take on Brock's compositions, there is no irony, just a true love for the weird pop genius that Modest Mouse has in spades. Songs are slowed down a lot and stretched out, and frequently you don't recognize the tune until the chorus kicks in, but it totally works even if you've never heard the originals. Labors of love are rarely as enjoyable for all involved. Huzzah.--Mike McGonigal