In celebration of The Con’s tenth anniversary, indie-pop icons Tegan and Sara have enlisted LGBTQ artists and allies from a vast array of genres to recreate their enduring fifth studio album. Far from a vanity project, it’s a celebration of variety, community and camaraderie.
Opening the album, Ruth B. spins ‘I Was Married’ into a bright piano piece full of delicate harmonies. Mykki Blanco’s ‘Knife Going In’sounds more like a performance piece than a simple cover. PVRIS lend a gothic, gloomy version of ‘Ten Years Ago’, playing off the original riff and taking it to new heights. Paramore’s Hayley Williams gives a pared-back rendition of ‘Nineteen’, her distinctive voice as gentle as it is clear.
However, it’s in the loving, capable hands of rising talents where the beauty of The Con is fully recognised. Shura softens her glistening electro-pop to provide a standout cover of the title track. ‘Like O, Like H’ is stripped back by Shamir, his raw, low-fi approach – both intimate and jarring – proves no one else could’ve been handed this torch.
The Con x Covers is familiar and new at once. The broad span of genres reaffirms its place as one of the greatest indie-pop offerings of the late 2000s.
6/10
