In spring 2020,
AWOLNATION
released their fourth LP,
Angel Miners & the Lightning Riders
, a catalog highlight about loss, recovery, and moving on. Unfortunately, that effort arrived just as the world was shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic, snuffing all promotion and effectively ending that album cycle. Stuck in lockdown, frontman
Aaron Bruno
processed the isolation and uncertainty by banding together with some famous friends for
My Echo, My Shadow, My Covers, and Me
. The nostalgic covers collection tackled a handful of classics, ranging from totally left-field choices like
Madonna
's "Material Girl'' with
Taylor Hanson
and
Biz Markie
's "Just a Friend" with rapper
Hyro the Hero
, to more understandable selections like "Drive" by
the Cars
and "Waiting Room" by
Fugazi
. With
Beck
by his side,
Bruno
perfectly executes his pensive take on
the Alan Parsons Project
's prog-pop hit "Eye in the Sky."
Midnight Oil
's "Beds Are Burning" is transformed into a fist-pumping, horn-blaring anthem with the help of
Tim McIlrath
of
Rise Against
, while
Conor Mason
Nothing But Thieves
duets with
on
Michael Sembello
's frantic "Maniac" from
Flashdance
. While
sticks mostly to the '80s, he briefly dips back and forth in time for a little generational variety. Recalling former band
Under the Influence of Giants
, he mines the '70s with a faithful take on
ABBA
's sunny "Take a Chance on Me" with a playful, teasing
Jewel
before plunging into the depths of human sadness with
Gilbert O'Sullivan
's heartbreaking "Alone Again" with
Midland
. Fast-forwarding to the '90s,
offers the album's starkest transformation on the
Harvey Danger
one-hit wonder "Flagpole Sitta" with the help of
Elohim
, slowing the tempo and dropping it into a minor key like one of those spooky, haunted covers heard in a movie trailer. One of the most surprising moments -- delivered with the help of
Portugal. The Man
's
John Gourley
Incubus
'
Brandon Boyd
-- arrives midway through the album on "Wind of Change" by
Scorpions
. Every bit as contemplative and sweeping as the original, the track is so majestic and uplifting it sounds like "We Are the World" for the pandemic age. On the surface,
My Echo
might seem like a stopgap release between more "official"
AWOL
albums, but it's strong (and fun) enough on its own to merit attention. ~ Neil Z. Yeung