Mandy Moore Album: “Coverage [Limited w/DVD]”

I have to admit that when I first heard that Mandy was releasing an album of covers and covers only, I wasn't looking forward to it. As an eighteen-year-old girl, I wasn't too excited about the music of the 60s, 70s and 80s ... but Mandy brings forth a well-done renewal of each of the songs.

"Coverage" is one of those lazy Saturday morning CDs to sit back and relax to. Or even to dance to. While Mandy's voice on this record is nothing exceptional, the total ambience of the record is well worth the investment. She takes a step back from the conventional "unconventional" type of pop music and a step toward a newfound maturity with "Coverage". The music is so much more than just her voice and the beat; there exists a flute, a sax, some exotic instruments that bring back the hippie/indie flavor of the mid-20th century.

Traditional pop music, "Coverage" is not. But an easy listen and soundtrack to a sunny day it is. It possesses a refreshing and sparkling quality that may even bring the sun TO your day.

They say don't do a cover if you can't do it better; Mandy does it better! This is a great idea and I hope she puts out a double CD of cover tunes next time.

Standout tracks:

"Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters" My favorite, Mandy sounds amazing on this. Rember this, by Elton John, was used in Almost Famous in New York.

"One Way Or Another" She nails this song.

"Anticipation" Another great choice.

I played it 10 times in my car, that's the highest praise!

OK, Mandy Moore has done the unthinkable, in a GOOD way, however!! She has ditched the glossy teenpop stuff for an organic COVERS album of cool songs rooted in the 70s singer/songwriter tradition AND 70s/80s punk/new wave, with the common link being a distinct CLASSIC POWERPOP APPROACH, as the songs are all masterpieces in true pop songwriting!! I mean, it's a true powerpop record if JELLYFISH's notoriously shy ANDY STURMER guests on many tracks, plus SEMISONIC's Dan Wilson, both REMBRANDTS, and even a member of peculiar popsters SELF, powerpop singer/songwriter BLEU, and producer JOHN FIELDS, who has primarily done powerpop records.

Mandy DEFINITELY has the good kind of nerve, as I am sure, when Epic/Sony heard of Mandy's idea for this record (it really WAS her idea), they must have balked, and if it was up to them, they would have rejected it from the getgo. Really, "Coverage" IS commercial suicide, BUT that is a GOOD THING!!! Going for commercial results and sales is NOT GOOD, as quality is not the focus, just what would get on radio. WELL, RADIO is TERRIBLE and too tightly formatted!! Then again, I don't blame Mandy for going ANTI-commercial because when she was competing with Britney and Christina, radio never played her records, and she only had TWO minor charting records, nothing off her excellent true second + self-titled album. Sooooo, radio has always given Mandy the short end of the stick, so she goes ahead and turns the tables by REJECTING RADIO, and makes an ARTISTIC COVERS ALBUM, similar in stance to ANNIE LENNOX'S "MEDUSA"!! Good for Mandy!! Her records have always been better than her competition anyhow, that could be why she's been embraced moreso in Europe and Japan than in the US, as they know quality pop records more than the US market does, I'm not surprised.

The best thing that could happen to Mandy right now is if her teenpop/TRL fans go splitsville and ADULT POWERPOP fans + critics embrace her!! I'm keeping my fingers crossed because I really hope that's what happens. I mean, Mandy has got EXCELLENT taste, possibly aided by exposure via her boyfriend, tennis star Andy Roddick!! Lessee, she covers classics by JONI MITCHELL ("Help Me"), CARLY SIMON ("Anticipation" done alt-country style, woohoo!!), JOHN HIATT ("Have A Little Faith In Me", AWESOME song, first single, gorgeous performance, cool video), BLONDIE ("One Way Or Another", cool choice), XTC (the AWESOME, classic "Senses Working Overtime"), JOE JACKSON (the Badfinger ripoff "Breaking Us In Two"--the melody is a ripoff on "Day After Day", surprised the Pete Ham estate never sued Joe Jackson, but that's another story, Mandy does it great), JOAN ARMATRADING ("Drop The Pilot", awesome, obscure choice), CAROLE KING ("I Feel The Earth Move", classic pop tune), THE WATERBOYS (the 80s, and all-time, classic "The Whole Of The Moon"), TODD RUNDGREN (the amazing, classic "Can We Still Be Friends"), ELTON JOHN (the 70s classic "Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters"), and CAT STEVENS (the obscure and cool "Moon Shadow").

It also comes with an exclusive DVD with videoclips of 9 of these songs, and exclusive artwork + packaging not on the regular version. Sure, Mandy's fans can stay put, but most teenpop fans will be shocked, as they are closedminded enough that they are afraid to try anything GOOD and NEW (like, OH MY GOD, THE HORROR!!), and her closedminded fans will cry foul and treason, but those fans can drop dead for all I care and Mandy cares. HOWEVER, I hope new, ADULT powerpop fans will come to the table, those who dig Jellyfish and XTC, as this album is made just for us.

Good going Mandy!! I hope you keep moving in this direction, maybe do some powerpop songwriting next go-round!! No going back to the slick stuff, and radio?? You can go screw yourselves in your closed-mindedness and TOO-tight formatting, not allowing a quality + gloriously UN-commercial record like this to be heard on impressionable ears. Prove me wrong!!

Mandy Moore is back with her highly anticipated cover album: Coverage. On Coverage, Mandy has furthered herself into a more organic sound as she attempted to do on her self-titled album: Mandy Moore. I think Mandy has finally found her sound; she just has to make her own music now. She has reworked some of the best classics of all time with her own style, making them sound more beautiful. This is a cover album, which is difficult to judge, so it's going to be either a pass or fail for some fans. I can tell you that on this album; Mandy's voice sounds its best and she has really grown vocally with each album. Her voice sounds really pretty in these tracks.

Track Highlights:

1.) Senses Working Overtime - I personally think this is the best track on the album. Her voice sounds extremely beautiful in this song. She adds rock and melodic vocal components to this track. I think this would make a fantastic second single. This song really sounds original and like it is one of her own.

2.) The Whole of the Moon - This song is okay. It really needed to be cut down from 5 minutes to maybe 3. A lot of this track is instrumental meaning there are large breaks of music without vocals. The only part of this song that is enjoyable is near the end wear Mandy's voice is echoed as she says, "oh, oh, oh, did you see the whole of the moon?"

3.) Can We Still Be Friends - This track actually doesn't sound much different than the original. I'd say this is an exact cover. Nothing changes in the way the vocals are arranged and the same goes for the music.

4.) I Feel the Earth Move - This was a track that I didn't think anyone would cover and I'm quite impressed. This is very retro sounding and it sounds extremely different from the original.

5.) Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters - To be honest, I've never heard Elton John's version of this song, but I can tell you Mandy sings the hell out of this track. You can tell she puts her heart and soul into this meaningful track.

6.) Drop the Pilot - This is a fantastic song. It's a very poppy and fun track. Mandy's vocals are literally rocking in this track.

7.) Moonshadow - I loved Cat Steven's version of this song and I like Mandy Moore's version even better. She really upped it up to today's standards by making it a bit like a lullaby. He voice sounds extremely pleasant over the music and everything sounds so great.

8.) One Way or Another - This is one of those older songs that you try to forget that you liked to begin with. I personally didn't like the original any more than I like this version. I mean don't get me wrong; the vocals and sounds are great on this track; I just don't really like the song.

10.) Anticipation - This is a great cover. Then again, any cover of Carly Simon is great; considering the fact that she wrote great songs but had no vocal talent. Even Jennifer Lopez's Carly Simon cover of "You Belong to Me" sounds fantastic and that is saying a lot.

11.) Help Me - I have honestly never heard the original version of this song, but hearing Mandy's version; I definitely fell in love with it and long to hear the original.

12.) Have a Little Faith in Me - Out of all the songs on the album, this is the track I was most familiar with. This track was really transformed from something that was semi-dull and boring and the only reason people listened to it was because of the way the vocals sounded. However, Mandy does wonders with vocals on this song adding her breathy sound. The beat to this song was changed severally to meet the standards of a great 2003-pop song.

Bonus DVD - The DVD comes with commentary from Mandy saying how important these songs were to her. The DVD also consists of the video for "Have a Little Faith in me," and some behind the scene footage of "How to Deal" as well as some footage of the unreleased video for "Drop the Pilot."

I think people of all ages should give this album a try. Mandy really made these songs her own and I don't think any other artist could have done better. Mandy's talent was really rediscovered with this album.

1. SENSE WORKING OVERTIME - A fun, catchy song with oddball lyrics. "One, two, three four, five, senses working overtime, trying to taste the difference between the lemon and lime." 4/5

2. THE WHOLE OF THE MOON - I fell in love with this song the first time I heard it and it's my favorite song on the track (tied with "Have a Little Faith In Me.") I believe Mandy said that this song reminded her of a big purple cloud or mashmallow...something like that, and I have to agree. It has this beautiful texture to it. I love all the lyrics, but my favorite part is the "Unicorns and cannonballs, palaces and piers...." part. I downloaded the originial by the Waterboys and I love that version too, but I'm probably more partial to Mandy's since I heard hers first. 5/5

CAN WE STILL BE FRIENDS - The first few times I heard this song, I didn't really care for it, but now I've warmed up to it. I love the chorus. 4/5

I FEEL THE EARTH MOVE - Hmm, I think I may perfer Mandy's version to Carol Kings. She adds a funky, updated twist to it, yes it still sounds like it came from the '70s. 4/5

MAD HATTERS AND MONA LISAS - This is a cover of an Elton John song that I had never heard before. Despite its weird title, it's a lovely song. 4/5

DROP THE PILOT - This song probably has the weirdest lyrics I have ever heard, but I love it! It's so fun and catchy. I'm not even sure what exactly the lyrics mean: "Drop the pilot, try my balloon. Drop the monkey, smell my perfume. Drop the malhout, I'm the easy rider. Don't use your army to fight a losing batttle. Animal, mineral, physical, spiritual." It's like, huh? But I love this song. My third favorite on the album. 5/5

MOONSHADOW - A small, gem of a song. She starts out soft in the beginning, then gets louder towards the end. 4.5/5

ONE WAY OR ANOTHER - Very fun version of Blondie's hit. It's not too different from the orginial, but I don't know how many ways there are to sing that song. Of all the songs she covered, this one was the one I was most familiar with. (Along with "I Feel the Earth Move," obviously). One of my favorites from the album. 5/5

BREAKING US IN TWO - Hmm, I really can't get into this song. It's a little too mellow for me. I wish she had chosen another song to cover in place of this one. 2/5

ANTICIPATION - Great cover of the Carly Simon song, even though it's pretty identical. 4/5

HELP ME - Another song on this album I much don't care for. It just bores me. But besides this song and "Breaking Us In Two," the album is a grand slam! 2/5

HAVE A LITTLE FAITH IN ME - I just love this song. It's beautiful. I can't decide if I like this one or "The Whole of the Moon" better, so that's why they're tied. I love both Mandy's version and John Hiatt's version and I heard Jewel sing a version of this song. I pretty much love this song all around, no matter who sings it. Mandy's vocals espeically shine in this one. 5/5