The Swedish band Amason is not a cover band; however, their new EP "California Airport Love" is an excellent collection of remakes.
The title simply strings together one word from each of the three tracks on this EP:
California = Cover of "California Dreamin'" (The Mamas & the Papas, 1966)
Airport = English language version of Amason's own single "Flygplatsen" (Swedish for "airport")
Love = Cover of "I Want to Know What Love Is" (Foreigner, 1984)
Amason is a collective of Swedish indie musicians who are already members of other bands, each established in their own right. Formed in late 2012, the band is comprised of Gustav Ejstes (Dungen), Pontus Winnberg (Miike Snow), Amanda Bergman (Idiot Wind), Petter Winnberg (Little Majorette) and Nils Törnqvist (Little Majorette).
On this release, Amanda Bergman's soft, smoky voice leads us through a smooth, easy-going cover of "California Dreamin'". The lyrics on "Airport" are almost a direct translation from the original Swedish lyrics of Amason's own song "Flygplatsen". As for the final track, I can't recall any particularly noteworthy covers of Foreigner's "I Want To Know What Love Is", but I must say that Amason's cover of this great, classic song is outstanding, making it the standout track on the EP.
I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS (Official Video):
Amason has released a number of singles and EP's over the past several years, as well as their impressive, critically acclaimed debut album: "Sky City" (2015). "Sky City" is rather unique as the band have quite an international (i.e., non-Swedish speaking) following, but the album contains a mix of both English and Swedish lyrics across the tracks. Not something you often run across. Musically, however, this five member collective is consistent in writing some great tunes.
Give "California Airport Love" a listen on Spotify or iTunes, and check out Amason's Facebook page and website for news and more info about the band.
And with that, I leave you with one final clip of a live session performance of "California Dreamin'" from H&M Magazine.
CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' (Live session from H&M Magazine):