Covers, Vol. 1

The fans of Cary Brothers who gushed over his swooning and romantic cover of The Thompson Twins’ “If You Were Here” (from 2007’s Who You Are) and his moving take on Level 42’s “Something About You” (from 2010’s Under Control) are in for a treat. Brothers indulges his knack for turning the other peoples' songs into his own with Covers, Vol. 1, an EP that hints at future follow-ups. He opens with INXS’s “Never Tear Us Apart,” laying the guitar reverb on thick and the dramatically impassioned singing even thicker. With help from honey-voiced chanteuse Priscilla Ahn, Cary turns Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Maps” into a simmering duet wrought with a complex tension between the two voices. David Bowie’s “Absolute Beginners” gets pumped through an indie rock filter with winding guitars and a quiver of vintage keyboards. Matt & Kim’s “Lessons Learned” doesn’t deviate much from the original blueprint; this version boats a cool horn section and backing vocals by Rachael Yamagata. Saving the best for last, Brothers turns Duran Duran’s “Ordinary World” into a seductive electro-indie ballad with slightly distorted singing.