Agency release a brand new, exciting studio project titled“Famous Blue Raincoat”. The album is a collection of cover songs, originally performed by female artists. The songs offer a really insightful outlook on the creativity of this talented artist, with a really broad selection of performers, ranging from classic artists such as Fleetwood Mac and Donna Summer, down to more experimental performers such as Icelandic singer Bjork.
The resulting album is a release that feels innovative, yet refreshingly familiar. The cover songs are somehow true to the soul of the original tunes portrayed in this release, yet explored under a completely different light. When it comes to cover songs, to me It is always exciting to hear something different than what you would normally expect. What is the point of playing a cover, if you are going to perform it exactly like the original track?
Agency truly put an original stamp on all of these tracks, and it is amazing how songs penned by such a wildly diverse array of artists could feel at home within the playlist. Through the scope of Agency’s creative directions, these songs find a nice common home on this particular release.
“Famous Blue Raincoat” actually features 10 songs, including, the title track itself (as made famous by Leonard Cohen, Tori Amos, and Jennifer Warnes) as well as “Even though you are with another girl”, “Familiar”, and many other stunning renditions.
This particular rendition of “Famous Blue Raincoat” is particularly striking due to the song’s tasteful production and organic arrangement. The track is built on a nice set of layers, where piano parts interact beautifully with some other melodies and ambiance drones. The result is a sound that feels romantic and introspective, yet remarkably rich and open. Clocking in at slightly under the 4 minutes mark, this song is a true emotional journey, taking the listener hand in hand through the meaning of this song.
This review will also be published on the november printed Edition of Pump It up Magazine, available 10/11/2007
Find out more about “Agency” and listen to “Famous Blue Raincoat” and other releases:
