My Echo, My Shadow, My Covers and Me

by AWOLNATION

Overview

In spring 2020, AWOLNATION released their fourth LP, Angel Miners & the Lightning Riders, a catalog highlight about loss, recovery, and moving on. Unfortunately, that effort arrived just as the world was shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic, snuffing all promotion and effectively ending that album cycle. Stuck in lockdown, frontman Aaron Bruno processed the isolation and uncertainty by banding together with some famous friends for My Echo, My Shadow, My Covers, and Me. The nostalgic covers collection tackled a handful of classics, ranging from totally left-field choices like Madonna's "Material Girl'' with Taylor Hanson and Biz Markie's "Just a Friend" with rapper Hyro the Hero, to more understandable selections like "Drive" by the Cars and "Waiting Room" by Fugazi. With Beck by his side, Bruno perfectly executes his pensive take on the Alan Parsons Project's prog-pop hit "Eye in the Sky." Midnight Oil's "Beds Are Burning" is transformed into a fist-pumping, horn-blaring anthem with the help of Tim McIlrath of Rise Against, while Conor Mason of Nothing But Thieves duets with Bruno on Michael Sembello's frantic "Maniac" from Flashdance. While Bruno sticks mostly to the '80s, he briefly dips back and forth in time for a little generational variety. Recalling former band Under the Influence of Giants, he mines the '70s with a faithful take on ABBA's sunny "Take a Chance on Me" with a playful, teasing Jewel before plunging into the depths of human sadness with Gilbert O'Sullivan's heartbreaking "Alone Again" with Midland. Fast-forwarding to the '90s, Bruno offers the album's starkest transformation on the Harvey Danger one-hit wonder "Flagpole Sitta" with the help of Elohim, slowing the tempo and dropping it into a minor key like one of those spooky, haunted covers heard in a movie trailer. One of the most surprising moments -- delivered with the help of Portugal. The Man's John Gourley and Incubus' Brandon Boyd -- arrives midway through the album on "Wind of Change" by Scorpions. Every bit as contemplative and sweeping as the original, the track is so majestic and uplifting it sounds like "We Are the World" for the pandemic age. On the surface, My Echo might seem like a stopgap release between more "official" AWOL albums, but it's strong (and fun) enough on its own to merit attention. ~ Neil Z. Yeung

Product Details

Release Date:	12/31/2020
Label:	Better Noise
UPC:	0849320075943

Tracks

1. Beds Are Burning
2. Eye in the Sky
3. Take a Chance on Me
4. Maniac
5. Just a Friend
6. Material Girl
7. Wind of Change
8. Waiting Room
9. Flagpole Sitta
10. Alone Again (Naturally)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

AWOLNATION   Primary Artist
Isaac Carpenter   Guitar,Drums,Bass
Aaron Bruno   Drums,Guitar,Vocals
Taylor Hanson   Featured Artist
Portugal. The Man   Featured Artist
Harry Thomas   Vocals
Brandon Boyd   Featured Artist
Jewel   Featured Artist,Vocals
Tim McIlrath   Featured Artist
Beck   Featured Artist
Elohim   Featured Artist
Daniel Saslow   Keyboards
Nothing But Thieves   Featured Artist
Zach Irons   Guitar
Hyro the Hero   Featured Artist
Grouplove   Featured Artist
Midland   Featured Artist

Technical Credits

Isaac Carpenter   Group Member
Aaron Bruno   Producer,Group Member
Eric Stenman   Engineer,Mixing
Brett Neumann   Engineer
Daniel Saslow   Group Member,Programming
Zach Irons   Group Member
Ryan Strong   Artwork
Kari Rowe   Photography
Jeremy Lubsey   Assistant
Vlado Meller   Mastering