ALBUM REVIEW: Other People’s Greatest Hits – Patent Pending
One of the truly wonderful things about the music world is that every band has that one hit that really makes them stand out, and is always the one that people remember. Some of these songs have been redone by other bands, putting their own twist on a classic hit. It’s very rare though that you get a band doing an entire album of covers,which is precisely what PATENT PENDING have done with their new record Other People’s Greatest Hits.
This is possibly one of the strangest album reviews ever written; where normally the whole album is taken part and listened to thoroughly to pick out the big hits on the record, what the overall sound is like and what areas could be improved, you can’t really do that when it comes to covers. One thing that can be said for definite before getting down to the nitty gritty is that PATENT PENDING have really showcased their diversity in this album, covering songs from the likes of RICK ASTLEY, THE KILLERS, SPICE GIRLS and ED SHEERAN to name a few.
All of the songs that have been covered by the band are all well known in the mainstream music world, which is a huge plus point as it really allows you to compare the original hit to what PATENT PENDING have done in the album.
The record starts off with two covers blending into one song, which already sounds a little strange but bear with. The song is called Wasted Wake Me Up, which is the blend of the two songs covered in the track – Wasted and Wake Me Up. The lyrics are taken from the first track, while the music is taken from the second with a lot more of a pop punk sound to it, although towards the end of the song the lyrics from both are mashed up, and surprisingly it works very well.
The second is a much simpler cover – Spice Up Your Life, which I’m sure everyone has heard at least once in their lifetime. There’s not much to be said about this one, it’s basically replacing the original artist with PATENT PENDING, and again it is a solid cover. Another notable mention from this record is PATENT PENDING’S version of Mr. Brightside, which starts off with a piano in the intro, and the sound features heavily throughout the song. It is also arguable that the vocals from frontman Joe Ragosta are cleaner than the original version.
PATENT PENDING are no strangers to recording covers of other songs – the compilation album One Big Happy has the band doing covers of hits by fellow pop punk bands BOWLING FOR SOUP and THE DOLLYROTS, and vice versa. When you have a compilation album of different bands doing covers, then it makes sense as it is always refreshing to hear a different take on a song, and every band has their own distinct sound that they try to implement onto the track.
It is very strange for a band to release their sixth studio album as all covers, and it begs the question why? Have the band struggled to write new material over recent months and decided instead to do covers as a way of ensuring a new album is released, or was it something they did on the side and wanted to put into album format? Whatever the reasons, it is a very good album. PATENT PENDING have been able to showcase their diverse skills when it comes to the sound and vocals, and the covers are exceptional. It’s something different, it was a very enjoyable listen and when it comes out in stores it is well worth picking up.
Rating: 8/10
Other People’s Greatest Hits is out now via Rude Records.
Like PATENT PENDING on Facebook.