What do T.K.O.'s "Footprints," Rihanna's "Rude Boy," Lady Gaga's "Pokerface," Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' "Empire State Of Mind" and Jessie J's "Price Tag" all have in common? Well, apart from being monster pop hits, they have all been covered by the British collective FreshSteps for their debut album, The Sound of Urban Soul-Jazz Vol.1. In fact, the entire 13-track album consists of cover versions, of those artists already mentioned as well as P!NK, Bruno Mars, Beyoncé and Lady Antebellum amongst others. Now before dismissing this as another run-of-the-mill cover collection, I suggest you give a track or two a spin first, because some of these are virtually unrecognizable, and even the ones that aren't differ enough from the originals to warrant closer inspection. All 13 tracks have been given, as the title suggests, a soul-jazz makeover, but it's the collective's front woman, Laura Holding, who manages to take this set to the next level. Her vocals are top-notch, but it's the way she interprets the lyrics and the spin the band puts on the arrangements, that really makes this collection shine. Laura gives Jessie J a real run for her money in the vocal acrobatic stakes on "Price Tag," while she morphs Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" into a timeless jazz-tinged ballad. "Rude Boy" is transformed from a playground rhyme into a funky soul number, and you will be asking "who is Bruno Mars?" once she finishes with "Grenade." Take a listen to one of our favorite covers, T.K.O.'s "Footprints," after the bounce, then head on over to iTunes and pick up the full album.
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After the bounce
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