CD REVIEW: Chamberlin "Cabin Covers EP"

When bands release cover songs they can be one of two things: karaoke copycat versions or total reinventions. Chamberlin has reinvented a small handful of tunes that have recently graced the airwaves of alternative and indie rock radio. Covering fresh new material is always a challenge, but it's also refreshing to hear a different take on catchy music that is still floating around in your head. The coolest is the interpretation of Kanye West's "Lost In The World" which takes a rock band covering hip hop in a different direction. Now, Kanye sung much of that tracks, but Chamberlin adds a bit of spookiness that is similar to Bon Iver (which coincidentally cowrote and sung on Kanye's track). Foster The People's gigantic hit "Pumped Up Kicks" gets a new spin with Chamerlin's signature style, and sounds nothing like the original, but still maintains it's slick catchy nature. Cults, Vampire Weekend, and Passion Pit songs also get a fresh coat of Chamberlin paint. This EP is a steller, yet short, collection of cover songs that are so well performed that they could easily be mistaken for Chamberlin originals.

CD REVIEW: Graham Colton "Pacific Coast Eyes, Vol. 2"

Graham Colton's rerelease of his latest album is coupled with a short EP of new tunes. The EP (which is actually, the Vol. 2 portion) has three tracks from the original collection which he rerecorded and three tracks that were left off the original mix. The bottom line is that Graham wanted his fans to get the most out of this album, and rereleasing it was the best way. The album features the hit title song single (as well as the EP) which showcases Colton at his pop songwriting best. "Love Comes Back Around" and "1981" are also standouts of the album. The nicest reinvention of a song on the album is "Twenty Something" which gets the full pop rock treatment in this updated version of one of the best tracks from Colton's self released EPs. Graham Colton has proven that he in no way needs a major label behind him to make and release great music. He is a true underappreciated talent that has no where to go but up.