Mandy Moore has never exactly been a huge selling artist. Her first album So Real, as awful as she admits it was, was a mediocre success. Her second real album, Mandy Moore, was a very good CD (read my review), but due to shoddy promotion, never really got the credit it deserved.
Mandy took a break after that, did some movies, and ultimately decided maybe doing her own material wasn't working too well for her.
It's a strange concept, the cover album. There are a million good songs out there, so how Mandy decided on these 12 is beyond me. But she made good decisions. None of these songs are very well known. Honestly, I haven't heard any of the originals, but the material is good.
The album kicks off with Senses Working Overtime, which is a cover of some band called XTC. (I don't know who they are) This is quite a fun song to sing along to. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5! Senses working over tiiime! This is quite a catchy song, and Mandy's voice already sounds top notch on just the first track - such an improvement from any of her previous efforts. This is a nice way to start the album.
Next is Whole Of The Moon, which is by another band I don't know, the Waterboys. Regardless of who sings it, this would be a good song, but Mandy's voice is killer. This song has such a nice melody, and even at the end she starts yelling, which doesn't sound cheesy! This is definitely a 5-star song, it's got a great melody and Mandy sounds so great, putting a lot into this song. This sounds like somewhat of a sound she maybe wanted to do on the Mandy Moore album, but never really got into it like she does with this song. This is one of the best tracks on the album.
Next is Can We Still Be Friends, originally by Todd Rundgren (I know who he is!). This song takes the tempo down a notch, and it's very obviously a 70s track. Mandy's voice sounds remarkably mature on this album, and this song showcases that very well. This is a very mellow song, which is a nice change from the previous two tracks. Even with only three tracks listened to, this album obviously has diverse sounds, something her previous efforts have never really had. The "La la la" interlude is one of the best parts of this song. When you have a good melody, you just have to go with it, like Mandy does on this song. Her voice only sounds better throughout this track. Another very good song.
The tempo is brought up a notch on the next track, I Feel The Earth Move, originally by Carole King. This song is very packed with energy. The only downside is the scratchy disc thing done throughout the song. This is much too modern of a sound for this song. Otherwise, this is a action packed song. Towards the end, you just kind of want to jump up and down. I can only imagine what this would be like in concert. This is definitely a great track.
Next is an Elton John cover, Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters. Although we all know Elton John, this is not one of his more known songs, but one of only two tracks on this album, I've heard the original of. This is a good song anyway, but Mandy's voice sounds top notch. Probably one of my favorite vocal performances of her career. Her voice over the smooth piano of this song just fit together so well, it sounds right out of the 70s. This is one of my favorites.
The tempo comes back up again on Drop The Pilot, originally by Joan Armatrading. I've never heard the original song, but from the feel of it, I'd say it's from the 80s. This song has an awesome melody. You can't help but bob your head along to it. And like on all of the tracks so far, Mandy's voice sounds amazing on this track. The only thing a little off is the lyrics, which you can't really understand anyway. Drop the pilot, try my balloon, drop the monkey, smell my perfume. Don't feel bad, I don't get it either. Otherwise this is an awesome track, very energetic and fun.
Next up is the quaint song Moonshadow, originally by Cat Stevens. If anything from this album sounds remotely like anything Mandy's done before, this is it. Her voice isn't as good on this song as it is on the rest of the album. It goes back to that little-girlish quality it had on her first album. With that said, she's a very good vocalist anyway. Needless to say, it's a good track, with Mandy's voice and an acoustic guitar. It's a nice, mellow song on a very energetic album. The song does pick up towards the end though, with Mandy's voice at it's best. Belting out the bridge and picking up on the energy that flows throughout this album. Though it's not as good as the previous ones, this is a good song.
Blondie's One Way Or Another is really the only song very well known on this album. Personally, I've never been a fan of the original song, so it's very hard to like it, even if it is Mandy Moore. Her voice sounds good, which is really a given on this album, but I just don't like this song. At first listen, I was dreading hearing this. It does pick up during the last half of the song, containing that energy that you get accustomed to listening to this CD. With that said, this is my least favorite track on this album, no fault of Mandy. I just don't like this song.
The album takes somewhat of a ballad turn on Breaking Us In Two, originally by Joe Jackson. I've found Mandy's voice sounds best in it's alto range, and you'll hear that in all its glory in this song. That said, this song is a little bit cheesy sounding. (That saxophone instrumental doesn't help matters much.) But it's still a pretty good track, and Mandy's vocals really outshine anything else you may hear when listening to it.
Next up is Anticipation, originally by Carly Simon. This song starts off with a very nice acoustic guitar and Mandy's voice sounding as good as ever. This song has a kind of country vibe to it, but it somehow works. It's really one of the only tracks that you can really feel the age in, but Mandy's proven she has a gift to refreshing songs. There's nothing that really stands out about this song, but it's a pretty decent track.
Next up is a Joni Mitchell song, Help Me. It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway: this is a good song and Mandy's voice sounds awesome. You can feel this song's age throughout it, but that's not a bad thing. One of the great things about this song is the driving chorus. I just love the piano in this one. It doesn't surpass the material this album kicked off with, but this is still a good track.
Closing the album is the lead single, John Hiatt's Have A Little Faith In Me. As cheesy as the saxophone in this song is, it's a very good track, and honestly, Mandy's voice has never sounded better. Even though it hasn't exactly been a successful single, anyone who does here it will notice how much her voice has matured. And this is a very pretty song with a catchy melody. This is a great track.
All in all, Coverage really surpasses most expectations anyone had for Mandy Moore. This is the first album she's produced this almost flawless. Even if the material isn't hers, she's breathed a life into it and made it sound like brand new music. This is definitely a refreshing CD from a lot of other artist's current music, and this can really throw her into a category all her own. Mandy definitely scored a hit with this one.
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