You Blew it! – You Blue It
If lyrics like ‘I’ve got a twelve-sided dice’ send you into a flurry of teenage reminiscence, then be prepared to reimagine your awkward years with five tracks of carefully crafted nostalgic sensitivity. An entire EP of Weezer covers is what Orlando pretty-emo band You Blew Itis offering up in their release of the wittily titled ‘You Blue It’. The five-piece credit Weezer as being ‘one of the few bands we can unanimously agree on’, and claim that they owe the forming of their group to the musical influence of Weezer. The result is a heart-warming dose of nostalgia that will transport you back in time to heavy kohl eyeliner and house parties that you were too young to drink at.
The EP consists of five well-loved and lesser known Weezer tracks, varying from note-by-note cover to complete reimagining. ‘In The Garage’ doesn’t stray too far from the original. With similar rough timbres and grainy guitar lines, it seems to buzz in your ear in that cheap yet charming basement-guitar-amp Weezer fashion. However, there is a sense of overall delicacy, particularly in the vocals, which adds to a subdued and respectful aesthetic. Though not an entirely innovative cover, it is clear that each note and lyric are mimicked and reclaimed with a careful desire for perfection. The philosophy being; if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.
The gem of the album comes in the form of a delicate and haunting rendition of ‘Only In Dreams’. Arguably the only track on the album that the band truly made their own; this cover gives the original a run for its money. Beginning with an overwhelming sense of poignancy and fragility, the reverbed and echoed guitar lines build in a crescendo tethering upon shoe gaze territory, until the track explodes into instrumental fluidity. The band goes beyond covering the song, to interpreting the striking lyrics musically, until there exists a duality between original and interpretation. Each lyric is delivered with humble awe, and it is immediately clear that the decision to cover this song stemmed from an emotional investment in the original band, and not just because they thought it would sound pretty (which indecently it does.)
This short and sweet homage to one of the greater bands of millennial adolescence can be accessed by fans across the board. Fans of The Blue Album need not fear this cover EP, as it is clear that this band hold as much investment in it as you do. It truly is both Weezerand You Blew It, as you have never heard them before.
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