http://undertheinfluence.me.uk/taxonomy/term/255/0 en http://undertheinfluence.me.uk/music/the_bird_and_the_bee_interpreting_the_masters_vol_1_a_tribute_to_daryl_hall_john_oates <p>Children of the ‘80s that they are, singer Inara George and producer Greg Kurstin have chosen Daryl Hall &amp; John Oates for the first volume of Interpreting the Masters, a sly move that reveals both their age and intended audience -- i.e., ex alt-rockers raised on new wave and now settling into a tasteful, hipster middle age, hauling around kids dressed in Ramones t-shirts -- and a reflection of Hall &amp; Oates’ increasing reputation as soul-pop songwriters and record-makers.</p> <p>The Bird &amp; the Bee manage to make these very familiar hits sound fresh without radically reinventing them. That in itself is a much trickier move than turning these all into slow acoustic dirges, but it’s better still because these arrangements are true to both Hall &amp; Oates and George &amp; Kurstin.</p> <p>The heart of the album lies in these covers of ‘80s staples: they shift the spotlight just enough to prove how good both the original song and singles are, and by never drawing attention to their own performance and arrangements, the Bird &amp; the Bee prove just how good they are too. </p> http://undertheinfluence.me.uk/music/the_bird_and_the_bee_interpreting_the_masters_vol_1_a_tribute_to_daryl_hall_john_oates#comments 2010 Cover Indie pop rock Tue, 20 Apr 2010 10:57:53 -0500 kevster 202 at http://undertheinfluence.me.uk