by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Covert Stations is a revolving cover song collective led by Craig Cirinelli (The Atlantic Union Project, Damn This Desert Air, Hidden Cabins), with unique line-ups established for each single. Working with likeminded musicians from Arctic Sleep, The Mayan Factor, Digicide, and beyond, the members play to their strengths, reworking 80s classics in their own image. Think of it as a modern day Replicants… launched by a stable of artists that most definitely cherish the Replicants’ sole record. Having already covered The Psychedelic Furs and The Cult, the band turn their sights to Modern English for “I Melt With You,” a song that you know if you don’t know you know it… trust me.
For their faithful yet muscular take on the classic, Cirinelli is joined by the third Covert Stations line-up of Chris Alfano (East of the Wall/The Postman Syndrome), Brian Leahy (Eyeswan), and Guy Nemo (Eyeswan), a selection of New Jersey based rock lifers who have dabbled in everything from post-hardcore and prog metal to folk, blues, and the ever applicable “indie rock”. The band stay loyal to the original, but color it just outside the lines enough that it feels new, or as new as a song this engrained in memory can feel without a hard left turn. There’s a thickened density, some great vocal harmonization, and some spaced out psychedelic flourishes tossed in courtesy of Alfano’s synth work, adding some textural fun to the otherwise jangly fun. Either way, it’s pretty fun.