Cars Cars

Nothing in the music of Kris Delmhorst immediately suggests a deep affinity with proto-punk new-wave masters The Cars, and yet a dozen years into a career at the nexus of folk, indie-pop, and Americana, Delmhorst has taken a brief vacation from her own literate songwriting to bring us CARS, a collection of songs by the band that defined an era. Balancing classic hits and deep cuts, Delmhorst has painstakingly deconstructed every hook-laden arrangement, every unforgettable line, creating a sonic palette inventively recast: Ric Ocasek’s herky-jerky bravado is replaced by the amber warmth of Delmhorst’s luminescent voice; the processed, synth-heavy aesthetic of the originals is reinvented with an array of organic instruments inlcuding fiddle, accordion, upright bass, suitcase drum kit, mandolin, clarinet, penny whistle, and harmonica. Delmhorst assembled a boisterous band of multi-instrumentalists and a chorus of women singers to bring a variety of sounds to the party. Opting for a session as loose and live as possible, they cut the album in two days with as many as ten players performing live at one time. In a twist of serendipity, mutual acquaintances connected Delmhorst with Cars keyboardist Greg Hawkes, who signed on to add ukelele on a number of the tracks, bringing the project full circle. Pop standards like “You Might Think”and “Shake It Up” are faithfully – and danceably – covered, while the rockers include a stripped-down version of “Just What I Needed”, a moody and mind-bending “Hello Again”, and an explosive take on the lesser-known “Getting Through”. Perhaps most fascinating is the newly discovered interior landscape of ballads like “Drive”, “You Wear Those Eyes”, and “Magic”, which appears here as a tender fingerstyle ballad gilded by shimmering layers of background harmony. CARS offers recreation in both senses: a joyful lark partnered with serious interpretation, the uncomplicated love of youthful fandom paired with a deep attention to and respect for craft. Kris Delmhorst offers up an exuberant and moving dream of the summer of 1984 painted in new colors; roll down the window and turn it up!