Under Cover＜Colored Vinyl＞

Under Cover is a bit too plain of a title for what this 2022 EP delivers. Yes, it features Valerie June recording her interpretations of eight of her favorite songs, a description that suggests something ordinary, which Under Cover is not. Occasionally, June sticks to an arrangement reminiscent of a specific recording -- her take on "Tonight Ill Be Staying Here with You," by some measure the happiest thing here, is in the vein of Bob Dylans jubilant original -- but she generally recasts these interpretations so they have a spacy, open-ended quality that falls somewhere between intimate folk and dream pop. In that regard, the opening salvo of Nick Drakes "Pink Moon" and Mazzy Stars "Fade Into You" do prepare a listener for whats to follow: they place Under Cover firmly within the moonlit introspection tradition, a vibe that subsequent versions of Gillian Welchs "Look at Miss Ohio" and Nick Caves "Into My Arms" maintain. What unifies the covers is Junes slightly idiosyncratic phrasing and earnest arrangements, elements that make Under Cover as surprising as it is familiar. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine