Emil Bulls : " Mixtape"

I have always been a sucker for the "Pop Goes Punk" series of album. I like well done pop music , but more often than not prefer the harder edged re-imagining of those songs. This German band has taken upon themselves to so a similar venture. It opens with a cover of Destiny Child's "Survivor". These guys are more of a commercial hard rock like Bring the Horizon in the late 90s they are are on the more Disturbed side of nu-metal. The singer can get a clean tone, but his normal singing  voice, while still sung has a little bit of grit on it. In some ways they are a little like Blue October. On their cover of "Mr Brightside " he really nails the vocal in way that comes really close to the Killer's singer. On song's like Taylor Dane's "Tell it to my Heart"  it does  not feel as inspired.

Some songs like "Grenade" I have never heard the original, but from the vocal phrasing figured out it was Burno Mars. Yeah, I like pop music , but don't listen to the radio so things like Bruno Mars that are not the kind of pop I like fall between the cracks, the only song of his I know are from the Pop Goes Punk albums. Another song that it took the phrasing to figure out was "River" by Emenim. He manage to  pull off the rapped verse with a great deal of precision. When it comes to songs I am more invested in like Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell" I am going to be listening with a more critical ear, and think h needs to croon more.  "Duke" is my cut off point for Genesis so I missed "Jesus He Knows Me"> I am not sure if covering a Genesis song when your band is leaning in a Disturbed direction is the best idea , but they make the most of it.

I have heard of Billie Ellish , but never heard her music, so "You Should See Me in a Crown" is new to me. It's ok, typical revamped nu-metal for 2019. I do not know "Jungle Drum" either. Think I like the other song I did not know better. "We Built Built This City" is more faithful to the original than not, the main change is the chugged guitar tone. There is a more ballad like tone to their take on "Where is my Mind'. I might be most impressed with their cover of Placebos " Every You Every Me" . I know very little of MGMT but I like what they are doing on this song "Kids" . I will give this album an 8.5, not sure I would care for their original material.