Project Alpha 10

Let’s pivot smoothly from yesterday’s Oasis/Jackson Five mashup to today’s Jackson Five cover–two very different interpretations of the same song (“I Want You Back”). Discovery‘s cover is an admirably-odd reworking of one of the great pop songs (maybe not odd enough, though–Pitchfork called it “teeth-gnashing“, which I think is a bad thing). I think it’s safe to say that Discovery intended this cover to make a statement about their perspective on music as well as pay homage to a great song. I leave it to you to figure out exactly what that perspective is, but this is what I think cover songs are about–if you’re not playing someone’s wedding or learning how to play an instrument, the only reason to take on another artist’s work is to put your own stamp on it. With their low-fi, soul-inflected electronic rendition of a pop classic, Discovery definitely does that here. I’m not sure I’d like to live in Discovery’s musical world all the time, but it’s a nice place to visit.

Check it out: I Want You Back – Discovery