Ezra Furman - Songs By Others

Ezra Furman - Songs By Others

Record Store Day 2016 Release

For Record Store Day 2016, Ezra Furman & The Boy-Friends put out this covers album, which proved to be a worthwhile investment for anyone who got their hands on it. The release features seven covers by Furman of various diverse artists spanning several decades, from Little Richard to Arcade Fire.

Covers albums can be pretty hit or miss, but this definitely falls into the 'hit' category. The songs are perhaps at their best when it's just Ezra Furman and his guitar, on his takes of LCD Soundsystem's 'I Can Change' and The Replacements' 'Androgynous'. Both posses a soul-aching, stripped back beauty to them, that make them the standout tracks of the album. A live version of Jackie Wilson's '(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher' proves an uplifting euphoric ending to the record.

While not all the songs on this release are perfect - 'Good Book' proves to be pretty forgettable, while a cover of Beck's 'Devil's Haircut' is only so so - the good far outweighs the mediocre. If it's still hanging around in a record shop near you, it's absolutely worth parting with your money for.

8/10