To me, the coolest covers are the ones that do something unexpected with the source material. So taking a prototypically upbeat piece of Chromeo futurist disco like “Don’t Turn the Lights On”, and transforming into slow, sultry soul would certainly seem to fit the bill. Mayer Hawthorne, who’s resurfaced with a handful of quality tracks since the release of his debut, A Strange Arrangement in late ’09, returns this time with Impressions, a free covers EP that allows the beat junkie turned classic soul revivalist to take his turn at a few of his favorite artists’ works. Some, like ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky”, are more familiar show staples for Mayer. Others, a deep cut from Jon Brion’s soundtrack work or a little known Northern soul single for example, not so much. Stylistically though, it’s pretty standard Mayer Hawthorne. Classic soul all day. No complaints here.

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Download: Mayer Hawthorne – “Don’t Turn the Lights On” (Chromeo Cover)