The Half-Cubes

Pop Treasures

Big Stir Records

The Half-Cubes are one half of the NY State pop/rock band the Flashcubes. This album is all covers of 70s-90s pop/rock bands. Favorites are here, like “Jane” by Van Doren, and Cheap Trick’s “Heaven’s Falling”, but also lost classics like “Not Where It’s At” by Del Amitri, and “I Live” by Jason Faulkner.

It's all rock, and in some cases like “I Live” there is extra guitar, which makes a great song even better, or the female choir that sings the first line of the chorus of “She’s So Young” by the underrated Canadian pop band The Pursuit Of Happiness.

Troubled love and rebellion make up most of the lyrics. Some that aren’t are “She’s So Young,” about both admiring a young woman making her way in the world and also shaking their head at how foolish she can be, and sometimes, like on “I Live,” love works out for the best. Then there is “Tell Someone You Love Them,” by Dino, Desi & Billy, about just that.

The many guests on include Mo Berg from The Pursuit of Happiness, Van Doren himself on “Jane,” and Nick Frenay and Billy & Bobby Alessi on “All For A Reason.” All do the songs proud and link the past with the future.

And the future is what this is also about -- to pass these songs on to a new generation and keep the past alive. Great covers of already wonderful songs makes this album a good haul, and a trove to dig into.

Andrea Weiss