The Latest: The Silence Of Love by The Headless Heroes

One of the non-advances of our times is the fact that everyone in a band has to write their own songs. Oh, definitely, some of the greatest songs ever came directly from artist to you, but there are centuries of filler tracks wasting the time of the few to have ever bothered to listen to them.

To put it another, cover songs are good for you.

The Headless Heroes would agree, since they've put together a stellar collection of others' songs, most of them from unexpected or obscure sources. The "band" is an assembly of studio rats with an impressive pedigree, but the center of the record is singer Alela Diane who, thanks to her own accomplishments as a solo artist, was brought on as the "hired gun" voice of the project. And what a voice. Although Diane's own records are filled with a hushed grace, the results are sometimes not completely engaging. When bringing others' work to life, it's a whole different story.

There's no better example of that than on my personal favorite, The North Wind Blew South. A true lost 60's gem by a fellow named Philamore Lincoln (dig that!), it's a testament to both singer and song on how this track comes alive. The mood goes darker with another little-known song, To You, originally by I Am Kloot. Here, Diane's voice drifts through a sonic haze, bringing chills to your spine in the process. Although everyone seems to cover Daniel Johnston these days, the Heroes' version of True Love Will Find You In The End is a sad, beautiful keeper.

Maybe it's because the most obscure tracks were the most interesting but I was less enthusiastic about the more obvious Jesus and Mary Chain and Nick Cave covers. But hey, they are pretty cool, nonetheless, as are Alela Diane's two solo records. If you like this album, check out her own stuff.