If you haven’t heard already, Erasure has a new album out called Other People’s Songs.

Yes, you guessed it — I’m an Erasure fan.  They’re actually my favorite group.  No matter how I’m feeling, there’s always something in my Erasure CD collection to match my mood.

Just released, Other People’s Songs is as explanatory a title as one could think of.  The CD is a collection of songs, remade by Erasure, originally released and performed by other people.

This is by no means a collection of resampled pieces, but is, in fact, a tremendous example of Erasure at their best.  They’ve taken a wide variety of songs from the last 40 or 50 years (from Peter Gabriel to Buddy Holly!) and “Erasured” them.

For instance, Peter Gabriel’s “Solsbury Hill” is fully recognizable.  That having been said, however, you’ll also find it to be indisputably Erasure-esque (not too blatant a play on Abba-esque, I hope).  The release of Buddy Holly’s “Everyday” is also very well done in true Erasure style.  To ensure no one takes them too seriously (something Erasure has never worked towards), the incontestably flaming rendition of Ronette’s “Walking in the Rain” will have you chuckling to yourself in a knowing way.

Amazingly, from Peter Gabriel to Buddy Holly to The Righteous Brothers to Cockney Rebel to Elvis Presley, Erasure was able to take instantly recognizable pop songs from the latter half of the 20th century and turn them into original Erasure classics.

If you’re an Erasure fan, Other People’s Songs is a must have.  If you’re not an Erasure fan but have enjoyed a variety of sounds and styles over the last 40 or so years, I believe you’ll find this album worth the price as well.