When it comes to television and movies, I rarely love a remake. Music, however, there’s something magical about an artist taking a song and reimagining it in their own way. There’s a beauty to cover songs that hits in a way that other facets of entertainment could only wish for.

That is why I was thrilled to check out ‘Covers’ from Annabel (lee). Four reinterpretations brought to life via the minds that make up Annabel (lee), alongside their 10-piece band. Oh, and these covers are more than that, they’re also live renditions. So did Annabel (lee) go above and beyond? Yes, and it pretty much paid off. 

Performing here and there in Los Angeles, Annabel (lee) set out to pay homage to four songs by delivering them their way. There was this sort of vintage feel to “Footprints” that definitely gave it a leg up on the rest as it came across as this funk meets cabaret moment. That, alongside “River Man” stood out. The album as a whole felt like three siblings and an out-of-town cousin, “River Man” being that cousin because of the brightness of it that felt removed from the more haunting vibes of the others, especially “Blackstar.” 

One of Bowie’s final releases before passing, “Blackstar” holds a special place in the hearts of his fans around the world. This is not an artist that many can do justice to, but Annabel (lee) doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel with this one. They covered it their way, but still stayed within the confines of what made Bowie’s version pop. So those who liked the original will like this one as well. 

Covering songs is a way for artists to put their spin on pieces of art that already exist, and Annabel (lee) did just that with ‘Covers.’ They made some their own, but also tread lightly with others like their Bowie cover, which wasn’t a problem for me. I liked the respect they paid to each track and all in all, if you like music that has this eerie, vintage vibe – you’ll love what Annabel (lee) did on their live ‘Covers’ EP, out on all major streaming and music platforms on May 26th.