Album review: Dawn McCarthy & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, What the Brothers Sang (Domino)

Dawn McCarthy & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, What the Brothers Sang (Domino)

On their tribute to The Everly Brothers, Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Faun Fables' Dawn McCarthy avoid the obvious hits in favour of more unfamiliar items from the brothers' repertoire – most strikingly, a chugging rockabilly version of the Spencer Davis Group's hit “Somebody Help Me”, which Billy sings with a fervour unmatched anywhere in his vast catalogue.

It's the biggest surprise of a warm, affectionate set that ranges from country weepies like “Empty Boxes” and “What Am I Living For” to the gently psychedelic soft-rock of “Just What I Was Looking For”, which recalls The Association. The most evident echoes of the Everlys' harmonies are in “Devoted to You”.

Download: Just What I Was Looking For; Devoted to You; Somebody Help Me