Stonesthrow crooner Mayer Hawthorne can sure rock a pinstripe shirt — and hey, he can sing, too. This week Hawthorne released his new EP, Impressions, as a free download. It includes reinterpretations of relatively obscure tunes by the Isley Brothers and Electric Light Orchestra, plus a heartbreak ballad by the electro group, Chromeo. Rolling Stone blogger Matthew Perpetua praised the singer’s delicate balance of slickness and subtlety, which makes Impressions seem modern, even as it resurrects old source material. We’d add that although Hawthorne doesn’t have quite the chops of his forbears, it’s certainly hard to resist that chalky male alto. Check it out for yourself, and see if you agree.
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