Girl in a Coma – Adventures in Coverland

Girl in a Coma
Adventures in Coverland
Blackheart Records Group

The Velvet Underground and Selena rarely find themselves in each other’s company under amicable circumstances. However, the two seem more than at-home on Girl in a Coma’s latest, Adventures in Coverland. This collection of covers has the band straying from their usual brand of power pop (except for their take on “Come On, Let’s Go,” which turns Ritchie Valens into a star of the Vans Warped Tour) to explore the spectrum of their musical influences, from the Beatles at their most conceptual (“While My Guitar Gently Weeps”) to David Bowie at his most Hollywood (“As the World Falls Down”). While each song has its own sound, their own Tex-Mex aesthetic maintains a surprising cohesion throughout almost thirty minutes of songs written by people they’ve likely never even met: “Walkin’ After Midnight” is imbued with an even more abrasive brand of eroticism and Joy Division’s “Transmission” is transformed into a sleek and sultry R&B jam. This Texas trio once-again proves that they are the only band worthy of their Smiths-inspired moniker. – Izzy Cihak