Courtesy: O’Donnell Media Group
Rock drummer Christian F. Lawrence released a new collection of cover songs titled The Corona Covers Friday through his official Bandcamp page. Lawrence — who goes by the stage name Opus — works with independent hard rock/metal band Dead By Wednesday and with Megadeth bassist David Ellefson on his solo work. The eight-song recording features songs that are a far cry from the work for which he has come to be known. That is due to the songs that make up the body of the new compilation. They will be discussed shortly. Lawrence’s performance of said songs plays its own role in the overall presentation of this record. They will be discussed a little later. The price point for this covers collection is also important to discuss. Together with the noted elements of the songs and their performances, all three elements make The Corona Covers a positive display of Lawrence’s talents and potential as a solo artist.
The Corona Covers is a positive new offering for drummer Christian F. Lawrence. That is because it is a work that puts on display, Lawence’s talents as a singer, guitarist and solo artist. It does this in part through the songs that make up its body. The songs are not metal songs. Rather, they are works that come from a relatively wide range of musical genres. The collection opens with a cover of Alice in Chains’ hit song ‘Rooster.’ The band, as most audiences know, was part of the Seattle grunge sound back in the early and mid 1990s. From there, Lawrence takes audiences back in time with his own performance of Pink Floyd’s timeless song ‘Mother.’ ‘Mother’ and ‘Rooster’ could not be any farther apart as two songs can be in terms of genres. He continues to branch out even more in the collection’s third song, ‘Blackbird.’ ‘Where Do The Children Play?,’ which was the product of Cat Stevens, follows that work. From there, Lawrence moves to the southern rock realm with a cover of the Marshall Tucker Band’s song ‘Can’t You See.’ He doesn’t stick to that sound for long as the collection continues progressing, offering next, a cover of Phil Collins’ timeless hit ‘In The Air Tonight.’ KISS’ song ‘Beth’ follows that work, again keeping things interesting for listeners. ‘Itsy Bitsy,’ by Mike and Peggy Seeger, closes out the collection. Yet again, here is another change of style and pace for listeners. What’s more, it’s another example of the diversity in Lawrence’s own musical influences. That far-reaching range of influences in itself will establish respect for Lawrence by listeners while also keeping audiences engaged and entertained. Keeping that in mind, this collection’s featured songs clearly are important in their own right to the whole of the compilation’s presentation. As important as they are to the collection’s presentation, Lawrence’s presentation thereof is just as important to address.
Each performance by Lawrence in this collection stays true to its source material as best it can. That is obvious throughout the compilation. That in itself is noteworthy. What’s more, Lawrence’s actual performance of each song does its own part to honor each song’s roots. The most notable of his performances come in his takes on ‘Rooster’ and ‘Mother.’ From the “rubbery” effect of the guitar to the control and balance in the layering of the vocals, this performance is right up there with the best acoustic performances that Alice in Chains held at its MTV Unplugged performance so many years ago. Lawrence’s performance of ‘Mother’ is just as powerful, as that crafted by Pink Floyd. That same melancholy is there in the instrumentation and Lawrence’s vocal delivery. It has that same ethereal vibe of its source material, leading it to tug so strongly at listeners’ emotions. Lawrence is to be commended for this performance which mirrors almost exactly its source material. Much the same can be said of his performance of The Marshall Tucker Band’s song ‘Can’t You See’ and The Beatles’ ‘Blackbird.’ Lawrence strives to stay as true as possible to the source material in those performances, as well as those of the other noted songs and those not directly addressed here. All things considered, Lawence’s performance of the compilation’s featured songs adds even more engagement and entertainment to the set as the songs themselves. Together with the songs, the two elements give fans plenty of encouragement to purchase the record.
Speaking of buying, the price of Lawrence’s new covers collection is $8. Considering the breadth of content and the Lawrence’s also already noted performances, that price is actually relatively affordable. So many records with the same amount of content can range from that price and go up from there, so paying only that price is not bad. Add in the fact that Lawrence will add new songs to the collection each week without raising the price, and audiences get even more motivation to purchase this compilation. When this is considered along with the impact of the set’s songs and performances thereof, the set in whole proves to be a work that Lawrence’s fans will appreciate just as much as Dead By Wednesday fans and those of David Ellefson.
Christian F. Lawrence’s new covers collection The Corona Covers is hardly the first covers collection to ever be released by any musical act. It is however, one that rock fans in general will find entertaining. That is proven in part through the songs that make up the body of the record. They show Lawrence’s wide range of musical tastes while also providing a wide range of listeners something to enjoy. Lawence’s performance of the noted songs adds even more to appreciate here, as does the collection’s law price. Each item noted here is important in its own right to the whole of The Corona Covers. All things considered, they make The Corona Covers a presentation that will appeal to any rock fan.
More information on The Corona Covers is available online along with all of Lawrence’s latest news and more at:
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