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Juliana Hatfield &bull; <i>Sings The Police</i>

Juliana Hatfield • Sings The Police

The source material is brilliant, but the interpretations are so uneven that it’s more like “Juliana Hatfield’s Wax Museum of Songs by The Police”.

I’ll Be Your Mirror &bull; <i>A Tribute to the Velvet Underground</i>

I’ll Be Your Mirror • A Tribute to the Velvet Underground

There’s good reason the Velvet Underground is one of the most popular topics for tribute recordings, their songs being very open to interpretation. This selection does not shy away from the more uncomfortable VU topics, which makes it a standout.

Erin McKeown &bull; <i>Kiss Off Kiss</i>

Erin McKeown • Kiss Off Kiss

She once wrote a song over text message with Rachel Maddow, a micro-story that actually provides deep insight into this adventurous Canadian with an effortlessly capable voice and a finely honed instinct for finding the beating heart of a song.

Juliana Hatfield &bull; <i>Blood</i>

Juliana Hatfield • Blood

Hatfield’s relentless output is given some inventive production, and I have to pause to carefully listen. There’s a lot to unpack, sonically and lyrically, and it refuses to fade into the background.