Know Nothing Stays The same,
copelandThe best way to gauge a cover version is not to see if the band have played it well, covering it note for note, but to see if they can make it sound like their own song. After all, covers are very, very rarely improved on. Thankfully Copeland have a really good stab at recreating five classic tracks, and make them sound as if they could have penned the tracks themselves. They're not quite on a par with the original versions, but when you are up against songwriters like Billy Joel and Stevie Wonder, it would take a mammoth effort to do so.
'Know Nothing Stays The Same' is a solid record, comprising of five versions of songs you've almost certainly heard before. And if you haven't, I guarantee your parents own the vinyl. 80s classics 'Take My Breath Away', originally performed by Berlin, and a cult classic due to the Top Gun movie, and Phil Collins' 'Another Day In Paradise' are fantastic cover versions. Both songs have all the characteristics of the original versions, yet throw in a cool Copeland twist. Marsh's vocals sound breathy and emotional, while the guitars and drums are whispery and effective. Perhaps the stragest version is 'Part Time Lover' by Stevie Wonder, which is all keyboards and samples. Talk about making it sound like your own song...
Although it pains me to think of a major label moneyman, if Copeland were marketed as a Coldplay or Keane there is no doubt in my mind they would sell a lot of records. There's a shimmering beauty in Aaron Marsh's voice that is both honest and sincere, and with a collection of storming tracks to boot, bigger things are surely just around the corner. Copeland are a real gem of a band and while this EP does not always suggest it, the boys are destined for greatness.
www.thecopelandsite.com
The Milita Group
Paul
