Curry Cuts, an Oregon-based label specializing in indie-pop tribute compilations, has delivered an absolute doozy in Second By Second By Minute By Minute: The Songs of Rick Springfield. Rick Springfield is one of those guys who never gets enough credit as an artist and a craftsman. We all know his hits, and we all know he sold a ton of records in the '80s. But not enough people acknowledge that in the world of power pop and pop-rock, Rick Springfield is a freaking god. The dude knows how to write a song, and 20 of his best tunes are the subject of this splendid compilation. Interpreting this material is a stacked lineup of heavy hitters from today's indie pop universe.
My interest in this album was largely due to the involvement of two of my favorite pop-rock singers: Lisa Mychols and Juniper. But I have to say I love the whole album. It's full of fresh and highly inspired takes on Springfield's songs. Of course his remarkable run of chart hits in the '80s is well-represented. But the album also digs back into the '70s with the inclusion of the largely unknown gems "Speak to the Sky," "Believe in Me," "We're Gonna Have a Good Time," "Take a Hand," and "Old Gangsters Never Die." I really dig the idea of a bunch of indie artists tackling tunes that are widely perceived as "commercial" rock songs. That really underscores the enduring quality of this material. As for the songs I was looking forward to the most, I must say I was not disappointed. Juniper takes on Springfield's iconic cover of Sammy Hagar's "I've Done Everything for You" and truly makes it her own — imbuing the song with an understated DIY charm and making it sound genuinely contemporary. If I were Rick Springfield or Sammy Hagar and heard this version of this song, I'd be absolutely delighted. Lisa Mychols, as she has been known to do on tribute albums, steals the show with a harmony-drenched, new wavy transformation of "What Kind of Fool Am I?". Other highlights for me are Splitsville's largely faithful yet indie-fied version of "Love Is Alright Tonight," Popdudes' yacht rock-ish rendering of "Don't Talk to Strangers," Ken Sharp's gorgeous baroque take on "Believe in Me," Andi Rae Healy's extraordinary re-working of "Human Touch," and Linus of Hollywood's silky smooth AM gold spin on "I Get Excited."
Andrew Curry deserves tremendous credit for putting together a top-quality tribute to the music of Rick Springfield. All these bands and artists are exceptional in their own right. And even as they represent a nice variety of musical styles within the indie pop scene, they all share a love for melody and perfectly crafted pop songs. Looking at some of the other tributes (Andy Gibb, Paul Williams) assembled by Curry Cuts, I can sense a pattern. Great songwriting is great songwriting, and not every indie artist is influenced only by other indie artists. Whether you're a fan of Rick Springfield or just a fan of great pop, you are sure enjoy this compilation. I'll probably have some of you fighting mad that I even dared to put "Rick Springfield" and "power pop" in the same sentence. But I would kindly ask that you give this album a listen before you come for me.
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