A Tribute To Juliana Hatfield
American Laundromat, 2018
9/10
Listen to A Tribute To Juliana Hatfield
When Frankie O’Malley and Patrick O’Malley, The Safes, were offered a spot on the American Laundromat label, which has served as a place for plenty of great tribute records, the band brought up the idea of covering their 2 favorite tunes from the legendary Juliana Hatfield.
After getting the green light, The Safes hooked up with the almighty Steve Albini to flesh out the record, and they even reeled in Material Issue’s Ted Ansani and Mike Zelenko to be the rhythm section.
“Universal Heartbeat”, a tune that goes back to 1995, starts the listen with fluid power-pop as keys, fuzzed out guitars and a little bit of jangle enters the upbeat and playful atmosphere that can get a bit grungy, too. Thankfully, The Safes keep the chorus intact, cause it’s one you won’t forget anytime soon.
The B-Side, “I See You”, from Hatfield’s debut 1992 album, incorporates some garage rock spirit alongside a hooky chorus and plenty of pop spirit as the O’Malley’s really make the song their own.
This one’s only available on vinyl and limited to just 500. Hatfield herself really enjoyed these interpretations, and you will, too, if you’re a fan of glorious power-pop that also flirts with garage rock and alt-rock.
Travels well with: The Posies- Solid States; Teenage Fanclub- Thirteen