1 O.A.K. - Lovecats

Any Cure fans in the house? While I’d be a little surprised to find the Booth readership teeming with lovers of the elaborately-coiffured goth-pop group, their classic New Wave sound is definitely ripe for a 2009 revamp. Enter Honor Roll freshman 1 O.A.K, whose first Booth feature finds him putting his own spin on the Cure’s ‘83 single The Lovecats. As the Oakland, California singer/instrumentalist/producer does his best Robert Smith impression, beatsmith Trackademics serves up a blend of swung percussion and ominous synths that, improbably, manages to sound more ‘80s than the original’s live-band backdrop. The end result has a decidedly left-of-center vibe, but the “Da da da” chorus is as insanely catchy as the day it was written, and this version’s compulsively head-nodding double-time outro should ensure it stays in listeners’ heads for days to come. 1 O.A.K.‘s forthcoming covers project, produced entirely by Trackademicks, has yet to receive a title or release date, but fans can watch a live performance of this track here.