Baroque Folk
Producer: Peter Asher
Albums of cover songs are double-edged swords. While they shine fresh light on timeworn classics, there’s an inherent cap on the artistic statements they make. Consider this collection from Bangles front woman Susanna Hoffs. Unique takes on a diverse passel of artists including Ed Sheeran, Squeeze and Brandy Clark are bright and fun, yet these versions will never replace their originals. That said, few could have imagined Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel and Ledisi on a gender-flipping version of “Under My Thumb.” – Andy Kaufmann
