Andrew Combs’ Collection of Covers

Artists are constantly being asked about their influences – the other artists that inspired them to write and play music, and the ones they came of age to. Nashville singer-songwriter Andrew Combs is answering that with a tightly curated collection of tunes that have impacted him over the course of his life. From discovering rock and roll as a teenager to developing a deep appreciation for songs about family after becoming a father, Combs covers all his bases on 5 Covers & A Song. Bringing his own style of intimate storytelling to each of the five covers, as well as his own original song, Combs’ collection is a beautiful tribute worth a listen.

Combs’ take on Loudon Wainwright III’s “4 x10” is a moving family portrait, and his love for the song comes through in the minimalist arrangement and deeply felt vocals. Though Combs’ cover doesn’t feature the same warm strums of acoustic guitar, he brings that same sense of softness and comfort through his quiet singing.

Elsewhere, he uses cold, clear piano notes on his cover of Radiohead’s “You and Whose Army?” It’s gentle and affecting, glimmering like a sparse ’70s pop ballad. It haunts the same way Thom Yorke’s version does. On Combs’ cover of Lucinda Williams’ “I Envy the Wind,” Combs sounds right at home belting out the dramatic notes of this stunner of a love song. His version of The Strokes’ “Reptilia” is wild and chaotic, sultry and perfectly fuzzy. And on Blake Mills’ dense and beautifully written “Don’t Tell Our Friends About Me,” Combs keeps things lean, taking out the twang and turning it into a pop song with Elliott Smith-like hushed harmonies.

Combs adds his own tune, “Expectations,” as the final track on the album. It’s a soaring, lush song about friendship that somehow lands as the perfect fit with these five covers.