I’m not a big fan of cover albums. In fact, I sort of loathe when an artist relies on simply doing a note-for-note rendition of what was usually a superior original version; just, what is the point?
However, when Jamie Cullum released his compilation The Song Society Playlist in 2018, I was interested to see what he had to offer. Cullum has been doing covers of jazz standards and modern songs since the start of his career, and even better, he always tends to put a fresh twist on the original. I can actually credit his excellent cover of “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over” to leading me to my long love affair of Jeff Buckley’s music.
Cullum’s “Song Society” started as something he was doing on Facebook Live – covers of top 10 hits with his pop/jazz-inspired spin. In December 2018, he recorded the best tracks for digital release.
The mix begins with everyone’s most-loved (or most-hated, if you work in retail) Christmas song, “All I Want for Christmas is You”, originally by Mariah Carey. It’s a strange start to the compilation, unless you remember that it was released right before Christmas. Anyway, Cullum does a fine job on his version; he tones down the pop production of the original, and delivers a stripped-down, jazz standard that would sound right at home in a smokey piano bar somewhere. Despite hearing it a million times, I’m still quite fond of Carey’s original version, so this one doesn’t do much for me (and I miss those Carey high-notes), but it’s still an adequate cover.
Up next is a more exciting offering as Cullum tackles Frank Ocean‘s “Thinkin Bout You.” I really enjoy when Cullum experiments mixing his sound with R&B or rap, because I find the mix of genres so musically interesting, and this is no exception. Again, Ocean’s original is one of my favourites, but Cullum really rises to the occasion here. While never straying too far from Ocean’s original, Cullum’s honey-coated vocals sound perfectly in place on the melancholy R&B song, and he hits those falsetto notes in the chorus perfectly. I might actually like this track as much as the original!
Later in the mix, Cullum tackles a hip-hop classic with his rendition of Lauryn Hill’s “Ex Factor.” He slows down the song into a blues ballad, and while I still prefer Hill’s version, this one isn’t too bad. Again, the focus on the instruments (piano and drums, primarily) opens the song up in another way. Though Ex Factor is inherently a sad song, you nearly forget it based on Hill’s jubilant performance; in this version, you can feel the pain as Cullum swoons, “and though you try to walk away, I work so hard to make you stay.”
Cullum smartly intertwines his cover of “Ex Factor” with another cover of Drake’s 2018 hit, “Nice For What” (which originally contained “Ex Factor” as a sample). Cullum actually raps the verses, and though it’s certainly not the first time he’s rapped on an album or live – it’s still a surprise – but he pulls it off pretty well. Again, the stripped down version may miss some of the sparkle of Drake’s original, but it’s still a fun delight to listen to. Who doesn’t want to hear a jazz singer rap, “with your phone out, gotta hit them angles” over a twinkly piano?
Cullum takes on some mainstream pop hits on the compilation, too. There’s an upbeat cover of Justin Bieber’s “What Do You Mean?” which sounds mostly like an acoustic version of the original; nothing terribly groundbreaking in the arrangement, but still pleasant to listen to. ”Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran is like the dirty version of the song; hi-hat drums, a staccato vocal performance from Cullum, and sultry piano work make the track a bit grungier than the original and one you’ll want to seductively grind to – or maybe that’s just me. I’d be happy to never hear Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” again in my life, and even Cullum’s leisurely interpretation can’t save my disdain of how overexposed this song is. The jazz piano break after the first chorus is signature Jamie Cullum, which makes me smile, but overall, the cover is one I can’t listen to – nothing can save this song for me at this point.
It might be hypocritical of me to write this after just trashing “Uptown Funk”, but I’m still not tired of The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face”, even though it was played nearly non-stop from the moment it was released in 2015. I just think it’s a perfect pop-song: great beat, catchy chorus, excellent vocals from The Weeknd. Most of Cullum’s version is note-for-note with the original, just with a slightly slowed down tempo, but my love for the original track makes the cover a win for me.
Cullum closes the compilation album with a cover of another of my favourite songs by one of my favourite bands, “Brick” by Ben Folds Five. I’m honestly not sure why Jamie Cullum and Ben Folds haven’t collaborated yet; both are brilliant piano men, excellent songwriters and singers, and I think they’d make beautiful music together. Someday, hopefully!
Anyway, for Cullum’s cover of “Brick”, he sticks pretty close to the original. Brick was already a stripped back song, with minimal production and more focus on piano, lyrics, and vocals, and Cullum honours that with his performance. It’s a beautiful tribute to a special song, and while he doesn’t do anything revolutionary with the arrangement, I still appreciate Cullum’s version.
I can’t say that Jamie Cullum’s compilation album, The Song Society Playlist, has changed my feelings on cover albums. I went into the album excited to hear what he’d do with these familiar songs, but he played it safe on the majority of them, rather than experimenting much with the sound or arrangements as I expected. There’s nothing bad or offensive about the release, but nothing truly memorable, either.
While there are a few fun moments and highlights, the mix definitely feels like something that was released more as an after-thought, than a planned out and intentional album release, and well, I guess it sort of was.
Rating:
Track Listing:
- All I Want For Christmas Is You
- Thinkin Bout You
- What Do You Mean?
- I Took A Pill In Ibiza
- Shape Of You
- Pillowtalk
- Uptown Funk
- The Place Where Lost Things Go
- Can’t Feel My Face
- Ex Factor / Nice For What
- River
- Brick