New Editions Of Pop Chestnuts Remind Us Yet Again Why New Edition Was So Popular In The First Place

noah | November 19, 2008 9:45 am

Continuing Cover Song Wednesday Morning, here’s a stream of the latest Guilt By Association compilation, in which indie bands try to show that they have some sort of pop sensibility through the power of performing popular tunes. As you may expect, the results are a bit hit or miss (also: I still am wary of the idea of a “guilty pleasure,” because it’s all tied up in Catholic indoctrination that I’ve been trying to get over for years and years), but Frightened Rabbit’s version of N-Trance’s UK dance hit “Set You Free” is transformative and very good; Kaki King’s take on Justin Timberlake’s “I Think She Knows” retains the original’s skittishness, if the vocals are mixed a bit too high; and Robbers On High Street’s minimalist reworking of New Edition’s “Cool It Now” is cute, although the lead singer’s basso delivery renders the whole enterprise a bit too Cake-like for these ears. (Avoid that “We Didn’t Start The Fire” cover at all costs, though. Whew.) [Engine Room Recordings via Pitchfork]