Jason Savio

You may not recognize the name Colin Hay, but you certainly know some of his songs. Hay was the singer and guitarist in Men At Work, and was behind such 80s hits as “Land Down Under” and “Who Can It Be Now?” He’s had a steady solo career since, and his latest effort, I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself, is a charming and heartfelt tribute to some of his favorite songs.

It’s no secret that most cover albums fall flat, but Hay’s has pop and a live pulse that makes the songs feel fresh. His take on the Beatles’ “Across the Universe” is a standout, as is The Kinks’ “Waterloo Sunset” and Gerry and the Pacemakers’ “Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying.” Hay’s veteran voice often switches between rough and gravely, to smooth and soft– such as in “Waterloo Sunset”– giving the songs extra character. There is more than a tinge of melancholy throughout, most perfectly encapsulated in the album’s title track, a Dusty Springfield tune. 

Hay recorded the songs on his own with just his guitar and voice, sending them to producer Chad Fisher who filled in the rest with other musicians, but you would never even know it. The production is lush and rich, one of the better sounding records of the year. Hay sounds fully dedicated to these songs– rejuvenated even–and he really makes them his own. Many of the selections are from bands Hay grew up listening to, making I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself a little more personal—or as much as a covers album can be. There is some real heart here, and it doesn’t feel like another paper-thin collection of copies.  

As the title suggests, Hay recorded these songs while stuck at home during the pandemic. It’s another example of how music can help power you through tough times and its ability to heal. When Hay sings “Nothing’s gonna change my world” in “Across The Universe,” it takes on a whole new meaning when you think about him alone in his basement singing it during a time when there was and still is a lot of uncertainty and fear in the world.

It’s a shame this record will likely go unnoticed for the most part. It’s a covers album by an artist that is no longer in the spotlight, so it has two things working against it from the start. But give it a spin—you’ll be happy you did.

For more, visit: www.colinhay.com/