From: Untamed Heart <spylogic3@...>
Subject: [SusannaHoffs2] REVIEW: Under The Covers 2
To: "susanna" <SusannaHoffs2@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Thursday, 9 July, 2009, 7:10 AM

Under the Covers 2

Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs
Shout Factory

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Some women spend entire relationships struggling to get a modicum of commitment out of their man. You kind of have to wonder if Susanna Hoffs' professional life with Matthew Sweet follows that tried and true and sad pattern: After testing the waters with a '60s themed covers album (Under the Covers, of course), the musical duo's back. And not willing to commit to anything but another casually tossed out collection of cover songs.

This time around, the duo jumps a decade forward to tackle the rich (and not so rich) musical heritage of the '70s. Like before, the team-up works marvelously, at least on paper, with Sweet's effortless guitar skills and falsetto vocals providing the support Hoff hasn't gotten since she left The Bangles. Splitting the decade right down the center to lovingly touch on everything from John Lennon ("Give Me Some Truth") to Carly Simon ("You're So Vain"), Under the Covers 2 doesn't celebrate the '70s. It celebrates Sweet and Hoff (or Sid'n'Susie, as they sometimes call themselves) and their studio-room chemistry.

Sweet's an able enough arranger to transform everything he touches into, if not power-pop gold, than power-pop T-bonds, which means you can bank somewhat securely on this collection. The breadth of the duo's reach is impressive in and of itself, from proggy Yes songs ("I've Seen All Good People") to trashy Mott the Hoople plays David Bowie cuts ("All the Young Dudes") to shameless Rod Stewart radio staples ("Maggie May"). Just watching the duo transform these shopworn, radio-fatigued tracks into something a little less tired is nearly worth the price of admission alone. When Hoff, who tackles lead for slightly more than half of this album, finds her muse as Sweet massages pop hooks right out of his amp and croons perfectly in the background, you'll wish the pair were doing more than playing around with others' songs.

It's the commitment issues that keep Sweet saving his songs for his own career and making these duo appearances so bittersweet. The two could, quite literally, make beautiful music together if they'd just settle down, move in together and make the effort to make things work. Sweet, though, has one foot out the door, making this second batch of covers seem like nothing more that a brief, if memorable, repeated fling.

- Catherine Asher