Are The Smiths uncoverable? I think most fans would say yes. Between Morrissey’s distinctive vocal and Marr’s ringing guitars, everything about the execution of their material says ‘this is it, the definitive version, don’t bother’. And yet people do make the effort. Here are handful of covers that attempt to square the ‘uncoverable’ circle by a variety of ingenious methods

Covering The Smiths means addressing the Morrissey problem. The guy is like a new wave Frank Sinatra – immediately recognizable, putting his stamp on material in a way that says ‘this is mine and mine alone’. One strategy I see bands covering The Smiths take up is to do away with the vocal altogether. Clever. Goodbye Morrissey issue. But can a lowly instrument really replace the Mozzer’s weighty vocal dread? You’ll have to be the judge. Agent Double (By La Momie) definitely give the lead guitar and bass a workout all over “Girl Afraid.” Very Smiths sans Morrissey. By contrast Goodnight Productions’ take on “William It Was Really Nothing” is lounge weird in a fun, almost goody way. 8 Bit Mixtape is a bit more of a serious keyboard-dancey workout with “Bigmouth Strikes Again.” And we get even more serious with Jessica Gallagher’s solo piano interpretation of “Asleep,” which really suits the song. Janice Whaley reverses the strategy, ridding her cover of all instruments except her voice. I think her reinvention of “You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby” has definitely earned it. Baby.

Not everyone is ducking the vocal challenges here. The Persian Leaps rock up “Jeane,” reminding us that The Smiths material can be cast effectively in different rock registers. The Time Tourists chop up “How Soon Is Now?,” alternating the order of its components parts in an intriguing way. The Regrets really do invoke the spirit of the original on “These Things Take Time” with a vocal that does its own thing. The Bad William version of “The Queen Is Dead” is more loose and punk than the kind of thing our tidy Mancunians typically offered up. There’s plenty of dread and drama on The Rest doing “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before” with a vocal that sounds decidedly new romantic. Alternatively, William Fitzwilliam’s breathy murmur on “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” is nicely complemented by intermittent banjo breaks.

Of course, one way to cover The Smiths is to be a spot on Smiths cover band. This Charming Band definitely deliver the goods on “Hand In Glove.”

Photo courtesy Markus Janssen Design.