At first glance, you'd expect an album full of cover versions of David Bowie to flop unsuccessfully—unable to capture the idiosyncracies of one of rock's most standalone performers. What works in the favor of the indie bands undertaking the task is that despite all of Bowie's glam, flash and pomp both on stage and in the studio, his songs have a strong structural foundation in rock and roll. When ethereal Brooklyn pop team Au Revoir Simone reworks "Oh! You Pretty Things" into a gently hazy tambourine-and-synths lament, the song comes across successfully.

That band's electronic tendencies set the stage for the rest of the album, with most groups choosing to go electro in their interpretations. They avoid the glammy Ziggy Stardust-era in favor of more obscure tunes, making this a disc suited both for curious listenings as well as hipster dance parties. "Sound & Vision" gets a dense, layered rendition by Matthew Dear that's a little too careful, but Kelley Polar's cheeky Italo-disco twist gives "Magic Dance," off the Labyrinth soundtrack, unexpected weight while remaining giddily silly. Richard Walters & Faultline's electro/acoustic version of "Be My Wife," too, is brave enough to abandon a need to hew close to the original, and its morose presentation is delightful. The most rewarding songs on Life Beyond Mars are those that take chances, which is probably what Bowie would’ve done anyway.

—Chris Hassiotis
08.20.08