It is known to fans of Mark Kozelek's music that he is as skilled an interpreter as he is a songwriter. After cutting the final Red House Painters album in 1998, he has since used his own name as a means to release the occasional odd cover album between larger projects. 2008's The Finally LP is among the finest and most humble of these yet, presenting an accessible array of bittersweet yet amicable acoustic covers that span the breadth of Kozelek's unique taste and influence. Known for drastically reconfiguring the songs of Bon Scott, Isaac Brock and Ace Frehley in the past, the singer does not limit himself here either: while stripping down Will Oldham's grimy "New Partner" to a beautifully finger-picked folk song, he does the exact opposite to the likes of Low's "Lazy", metamorphosing their classic slowcore dirge into an upbeat country ditty. Same goes for Husker Du's "Celebrated Summer", which appears as an open-tune mood piece in the vein of Nick Drake. Meanwhile, "If You Want Blood" is an alternate version of an AC/DC cover that appeared on Kozelek's 2001 collection What's Next to The Moon. This one is worth a spin for admirers of Mark Kozelek or good folk music in general, as well as anyone looking for some interesting cover versions.

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Labels: acoustic, alt-country, covers, folk