Cover Your Tracks
New West, 2019
8/10
Canadian troubadour Corb Lund has done many things in his lengthy and esteemed career, but up until now a cover album wasn’t one of them. And in typical Lund fashion, there’s plenty of unexpected but welcomed surprises to be found, and they’re all fleshed out in his multi-genre meshing.
Lund starts his album with the groovy swagger of “These Books Are Made For Walkin’”, and follows with the country fueled rhythm of “The Cover Of The Rolling Stone”, where Hayes Carll contributes backing vocals.
Other noteworthy selections include Lund’s sparse reworking of ACDC’s “Ride On”, with Ian Tyson lending a hand vocally, while the expressive and bouncy version of “It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me” contains all the memorableness of the original.
Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released” ends the listen with cautious and warm melodies and a poetic setting as Lund sounds as timeless as Dylan, and with as much authenticity, too.
A record laid down while Lund was between proper records, it sure seems like he had a lot of fun making this one, and it’s just as fun to listen to, too.
Travels well with: Todd Snider- Cash Cabin Sessions, Vol. 3; Robbie Fulks- Upland Stories