Please Please Please: a tribute to The Smiths
The Smiths were one of the U.K.'s brightest pop acts of the '80s, with singer Morrissey setting his witty and emotionally honest lyrics against Johnny Marr's serpentine, arpeggiated guitar lines. This tribute smartly avoids trying to mimic the band's singular charm, aiming to redefine the songs as if they'd always been part of each performer's catalog. Trespassers William slow down "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" until it purrs with sweetness. Solvents turn "Is It Really So Strange" into a campfire clap-along. Elk City interprets "I Know It's Over" as a skipping piece of Chamber pop. Belly's Tanya Donelly finds an intimacy to "Shoplifters of the World Unite." Kitten retains the firepower of "Panic" with a Eurodisco sound resembling Blondie. Greg Laswell sits at the piano for a dramatic take on "Half A Person." William Fitzsimmons whispers the lullaby "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want," and the legendary Wedding Present adds a muscular power to "Hand in Glove." It's a worthwhile tribute that reinvents the songs while retaining The Smiths' glorious spirit.
"...Morrissey and his (charming) men get the sweet-and-tender treatment from alt-pop types, including Sixpence None the Richer and Mandy Moore pal Mike Viola, who classes up "How Soon Is Now?" with movie-score strings." - Mikael Wood, Entertainment Weekly
"...An awesome cover-compilation!" - Paste Magazine
"...For its latest effort, American Laundromat Records has once again gone above and beyond the call of duty. The subject band, while certainly legendary in the rock world, probably falls into a narrower niche of fans than any previous projects. Thankfully, the bands that cover the songs of Morrissey and Co. here are obviously part of that niche. Listening to acts such as Kitten, Tanya Donelly and The Wedding Present give their respective takes on "Panic," "Shoplifters of the World Unite" and "Hand in Glove" makes you wonder what Morrissey himself might think of the efforts. For fans of The Smiths, "Please, Please, Please" is like discovering these songs all over again." -Devin Grant, Post & Courier
"...it’s not only deep cuts that get covered on this 20-track collection -- plenty of folks take a crack at the monsters of Smith-dom. Joy Zipper slows down "What Difference Does It Make?", largely de-clawing it but making it more meditative and not without its charms; Mike Viola boldly turns in a chamber pop rendering of "How Soon Is Now"; Donelly goes unplugged for "Shoplifters of the World Unite"; and vets The Wedding Present deliver a highlight in a noisy, buzzing version of "Hand in Glove". That song was of course famously covered in 1984 by the great Sandie Shaw, and a vintage shot of Shaw graces the cover of Please, Please, Please, whose other notable tracks include "Reel Around the Fountain" from Built To Spill’s Doug Martsch, a sparkling, orchestral "Stop Me" from The Rest, and a couple of current indie rock luminaries: Telekinesis, who infuse a jolt of pep into "Sheila Take a Bow," and Katy Goodman of La Sera and Vivian Girls, does the opposite, reining in "What She Said" into something acoustic and lovely." - Noisevox.com
"...Several big names turn out to show their interpretations of Moz & Marr’s classics: Built to Spill’s Doug Martsch supplies an easygoing “Reel Around the Fountain”, while Telekinesis provide a raucous cover of “Sheila Take a Bow”. There’s also an unexpected appearance from Sixpence None the Richer with a warm, sunny take on “I Won’t Share You” and a fuzz-drenched rocker version of “Hand in Glove” by The Wedding Present. The best (and furthest straying) of these is Girl in a Coma’s backwoodsy, foot-stomping “Rubber Ring” cover. Surprisingly, it’s the lesser-known names that steal the show: Kitten’s spacey, upbeat take on “Panic”, Cinerama’s sample-peppered, soothingly ambient cover of “London”, and Tonya Donelly and Dylan in the Movies’ soft, heartfelt acoustic version of “Shoplifters of the World Unite” are all showstoppers. Dala’s smoky cabaret cover of “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me” is possibly more heartbreaking than the original. Mike Viola and The Section Quartet swap heavily tremolo-ed guitars for moody strings on one of the more unique versions of “How Soon Is Now?” laid to record. Listing every solid track’s merits would take too long; there’s hardly a dud among the two-disc set’s 20 tracks. American Laundromat Records has assembled an outstanding and highly varied assortment of Smiths covers for their tribute record. Each and every artist shows a reverence and love towards the material they’re working with; many take respectful liberties with their songs, giving a refreshing take on the music for those who know every lyric by heart and perhaps shedding a new light on the band for those who don’t fall into The Smiths’ cult worship camp." -Austin Trunick, Consequence of Sound
Panic (Smiths Cover) by Kitten by americanlaundromatrecords
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