If you’re tired of the radio playing the same songs over and over, it’s cool, because your favorite bands have your back, as always. Fearless Records’ “Punk Goes Pop” is back with volume 6, set to release November 5th, featuring a handful of songs I’m sure you won’t be surprised by. It’s so fun to hear bands cover quirky mainstream songs, and I have to admit, I’ve had the album on repeat for a couple hours now.
The first of 13 tracks you’ll hear when you pop the CD in (do people do that anymore?) is Bruno Mars’ “Grenade” covered by Memphis May Fire. Don’t expect the slow song you’ve heard a million times, though. MMF turned up the tempo a couple of notches and gave it that recognizably punk sound, and did so very well. The vocals were pretty clean throughout, which I, personally, am indifferent about; it still sounds like MMF!
If you’re already a fan of Mayday Parade, their cover of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” might just be your favorite on the album. Even better - it features Vic Fuentes of Pierce the Veil. Being a huge fan of both bands, I know Derek (the lead singer of Mayday Parade) and Vic sound quite different, but damn do they sound beautiful together. The cover is fantastic, even with the faster tempo they decided to go with.
Breathe Carolina brings in a classic, covering Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.” I can’t say it’s my favorite cover. It’s sounds a bit awkward, which might just be the autotune. This one’s the kind of cover that you either love or hate right off the bat. However, I give them major props. Covering the King of Pop? Very gutsy!
The Maine decided on a classic, as well, covering Cindi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” They changed the entire song around for themselves, and it came out great! Don’t be expecting some up-beat, quirky, mid-80’s pop song. It’s been slowed down a bit and punked out. I give them mega props for really making it their own!
The whole album, just like the rest of the Punk Goes Pop series, is just pure entertainment. It’s fun to rock out and sing-a-long to in the car. So don’t forget to check out all the bands’ covers on there; including “Call Me Maybe” by Upon a Dawning (which came out awesome by the way), “Paradise” by Craig Owens, and “Mercy” by The Word Alive!
9/10
- Kim