ECHOES – ANCIENT & MODERN Trevor Horn

Released on 12/1/23 by Deutsche Grammophon (DG)
Main artists: Trevor Horn
Genre: Pop

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An '80s pop icon with Yes, Buggles, and the Art of Noise, Trevor Horn is also well known as a producer behind the scenes. He brings this aspect of his talents to the fore with 2024's Echoes: Ancient and Modern, a covers album that finds him putting a new twist on songs, many of which he produced originally. The album is the conceptual follow-up to his previous covers project, 2019's Reimagines the '80s. As with that album, Echoes finds him joined by guest vocalists, each of whom is recognizable in their own way and has worked with Horn in the past. Given some of the new wave and dance-pop leanings of Horn's own classic work, one might expect Echoes to be a frothy, upbeat affair. While there are certainly moments of buoyant pop fun to be had, the overall approach is more low-key, with Horn reworking most of the songs in a more dramatic, sonically textured, and emotionally introspective way than the originals. Perhaps a good clue to the aesthetic vibe he conjures here is with his cover of Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music's "Avalon," the sole track to feature his own vocals. It's subdued and somewhat jazzy, not unlike Ferry's version, and feels like a creative touchstone for the overall vibe Horn is going for. Similarly, we get an arid, goth dreamscape arrangement of Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Relax" featuring singer Toyah and husband/guitarist Robert Fripp. While the original "Relax" as produced by Horn was done with singer Holly Johnson's tongue firmly in cheek, here Horn goes for a deadpan earnestness, underlining the notion that he is deconstructing each song to get to the core emotion at the center. Yet more far afield of the original is his shadowy, EDM-esque take on Pat Benatar's "Love Is a Battlefield" with Marc Almond, which turns the rock anthem into a dark club ballad. Another surprisingly effective transformation is Tori Amos' opening rendition of Kendrick Lamar's "Swimming Pools." Her throaty coo is a perfect match for the moody atmosphere Horn creates and one could easily imagine listening to a whole album of Amos and Horn done in a similar fashion. Admittedly, some of the covers are more admirably interesting than effective: Rick Astley offers a pleasant adult contemporary reading of "Owner of a Lonley Heart" and Andrea Corr and Jake Lukeman's electro-acoustic take on Billy Idol's "White Wedding" washes away much of the song's bite. Still, we get Iggy Pop and Lambrini Girls joining forces for a rootsy take on Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus," while Seal offers a compelling version of Joe Jackson's "Steppin' Out." All of this is done with impeccable taste as Horn mixes analog elements with electronic ones and takes his time building each song with the creativity and passion he is known for.

© Matt Collar /TiVo

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ECHOES – ANCIENT & MODERN

Trevor Horn

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Swimming Pools (Drank) (feat. Tori Amos)