Versions - EP

Album Review

The trip-hopping, echo-loving production duo Thievery Corporation already proved they were top-notch remixers with their Abductions and Reconstructions collection, but seven years have passed so another set of their fine re-dubbing is desirable. Surprising names like the Doors and Herb Alpert sit next to usual suspects like Bebel Gilberto and Sarah McLachlan, all them getting a cosmopolitan sheen with spliffed-out bachelor pad music drenched in dub being the most common outcome. Divergent tracks like the worldbeat-ish cover of Public Image Ltd.'s "This Is Not a Love Song" by Nouvelle Vague and the surprisingly finger-snapping rework of Fear of Pop's "In Love" keep things from getting stoner dull. The Doors remix is tasteful, the Herb Alpert cut is luscious and dreamy, and the version of Wax Poetic's "Angel," with guest vocals from Norah Jones, expands upon the original track's sensuality and bliss. Adding to the set's desirability is the beautifully designed and very thick booklet, which pays homage to the cover of the Beatles' Revolver over 25 pages. While Versions is a worthy follow-up to the excellent Abductions, a couple of frustratingly short tracks that don't allow their hypnotic grooves to properly stretch keep it from being the definitive Thievery remix collection.