Listening to… AM & Shawn Lee

AM & Shawn Lee have done a remarkably respectful cover of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils’ mid-‘70s hit “Jackie Blue.” Not the first indie-rock cover of the song. No less a band than Smashing Pumpkins did it on the K-Tel covers project 20 Explosive Dynamic Super Smash Hit Explosions! compilation. AM & Shawn Lee’s version takes advantage of the opportunity to jam electronically, then slow the thing down to a crawl. The poppy elements and vocals remain pristine, slavishly aping the Daredevils to the point where they seem ironic or parodic. It’s that middle jam that’s so smart, taking the song apart from the inside and leaving that AM (radio, that is)-friendly shell intact.