Covers albums can always be a bit hit and miss. More often than not, bands don’t quite make the covers their own, sticking too closely to the original, but you certainly can’t say that about Driving Mrs Satan, a band covering metal songs in an acoustic folky style. Popscotch it a joy to listen to and doesn’t get old no matter how many times you listen to it.
Opening with a majestic cover of Helloween’s I Want Out, it’s the perfect way to get things going and it has this wonderful light and airy, and almost dreamlike quality to it. It’s absolutely beautiful and sets the scene nicely for the album, easing the listener into it before leading them to a great rendition of Metallica’s Battery. Although this is a song that has been covered by countless bands in countless ways, it’s a new and original imagining of a classic and is perhaps one of the best covers of the song I’ve come across!
One of the highlights of the album is the cover of Motorhead’s Killed By Death. There’s something oddly amusing about hearing it performed in a cheery acoustic form, but something about it just works and it translates well into a more chilled and easy-listening version.
Although the closing cover of Faith No More’s From Out Of Nowhere is a little disappointing in the grand scheme of things, Popscotch is a fine album that’s exceedingly accessible to fans of any genre.
9/10
