What am I listening to?

Outta left field — a collaboration by Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs. Their Under the Covers Vol. 1 popped up on iTunes the other day, and as I scanned the track list, I was stunned — covers of “She May Call You Up Tonight,” one of the more obscure songs by the already obscure Left Banke? The Zombies’ “Care of Cell 44”? Are you kidding me? And “Different Drum”? I’m in. I always liked Matthew Sweet’s voice but found his work kinda (very) derivative. What’s homage in a Beck-style setting is just ripping off in any other pop song, and I wasn’t into it. And let’s face it, Susanna’s eye-rolling could really get on your nerves by the four millionth time you’d seen the “Manic Monday” video. But together, on these songs? Incredible.