by Andrew Garrison
When it comes to The Beatles, I am one of those people who kind of just go, “Meh.” I get it, they were like the most successful pop group ever, and I will not deny their cultural significance, but I just never really got the appeal. I feel they were mostly just in the right place at the right time, more or less. In fact, I might even go as far to say that they are overrated. I knew a kid in high school who: A) Was a moron; B) Got the cover of Let it Be tattooed on his chest; and C) Was an aspiring Navy SEAL. And I still relentlessly made fun of him for liking The Beatles goddamn so much. So, with that in mind, I took a listen to Beatles Reimagined, which features staples across the indie music scene like The Well Pennies, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Night Panther and Jhameel among others. And I dug the hell out of it.
Reimagined took ten very different artists, all dwelling in their own subset of indie music and provided excellent tracks that, while may upset some Beatles purists, makes a very cool, easy listening and enjoyable album. There are a few songs that I felt were more reimagined than others, with the most reimagination coming from Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros’ “I Saw her Standing There”. With their signature alt-folk twang brings a very cool, upbeat sound that nears towards an almost square-dancing sound.
Night Panther kicks off their tribute, “I Want to Be Your Man” with a Saturday Night Fever-esque sound. Again, we get a ton of reimagination that is remarkably well executed and makes me feel like dancing, and perhaps, dance the night away. Jhameel’s “I Feel Fine” is another outstanding track, with a heavy, low key beat and a ton of funk. Jhameel’s vocals come off as very deep and sultry, with a nearly wounded sound to it. The Leftover Cuties’ “There’s a Place” is a fun, upbeat song the happily strolls along with a light piano and a remarkable vocal performance. Feverbody’s “Misery” has a heavy electronic, low-fi sound, and comes off like a really awesome remix. “From me to you” performed by Mobely kind of just slinks in with a rad drumbeat that establishes a good pace and awesome sound, with just enough airiness when needed. The album wraps with Doom and Gloom’s “And I Love Her”, one of the slower and more soulful songs on the album. The vocals are very well done, a light tambourine drives the songs and they added a few fun production sounds to end Reimagined in stride.
Reimagined is a great collaborative effort by a ton of really talented acts. If you want an album that sounds like the original, this is not for you. But if you like some major creative changes that yield a great listen, this is for you. Put it on your Christmas shopping list for the people in your life who are convinced that good music died with Lennon, or perhaps, because of Yoko.
Rating: 7.8/10
