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POLICIA! A Tribute to the Police
Various artists
The Militia Group
by Lindsay Tredent
Before listening to a tribute album, there’s one thing you must consider: If you’re already a huge fan of the deified band, it’s likely that, in your mind, none of the songs on the record will ever compare to the original version. This is especially true if the band’s been around forever and is therefore “a classic.” So, being that ’80s pop-song masters The Police are one of my favorite bands of all time, before I listened to Policia: A Tribute to the Police, I took the following three things into account:
1. No one’s voice will sound as good as Sting’s.
2. No song will contain the same raw emotion as an original Police song.
3. None of the drummers will be able to compare to the genius of Stuart Copeland.
Despite such caveats, I thoroughly enjoyed this album. Listening to the same songs over and over again can get repetitive, so it’s nice to see a new twist on old favorites. And it’s interesting to see how a band chooses to cover a song—whether they’ll keep it sterile and stick to the original version, or if they’ll go off the beaten path and mold it into their own sound.
Some songs stand out more than others, and the most notable track on this album is definitely Underoath’s version of “Wrapped Around Your Finger.” When you hear the chorus, “I’ll be wrapped around your finger,” being screamed, you might think, “What the f--k is going on here?” But if you know and appreciate the music of Underoath, you’ll see how these nice young lads have cleverly warped this song and given it their own flavor—screams and harmonies included.
Other good renditions on this compilation include Motion City Soundtrack’s cover of “Truth Hits Everybody,” No Motiv’s take on “Sychronicity II,” and Big Collapse’s version of “Next to You.” They’re extremely similar to the originals, but still sound fresh. However, Limbeck’s version of “So Lonely” is almost painful to listen to. I know I said before that no song can contain the same raw emotion as the original, but these guys have taken one of the most heartfelt and vividly emotional Police songs ever and expunged all its passion and feeling. And though Watashi Wa’s version of “Message in a Bottle” may give a clearer interpretation of the song’s lyrics, it lacks vocal range and harmony.
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