Under the Covers, Vol. 3

and continue their parade through pop's past with , a third volume that brings the duo into the '80s. This just so happens to be the decade when both singers began their professional careers. went supernova with in 1986, the same year released his debut on , and while it'd be another half-decade before experienced his own flush of success, the two are steeped in the underground pop culture of the '80s, where the records of the '60s were celebrated and refracted through the Paisley Underground, , and even the one-hit-wonders dotting the landscape of MTV. pays tribute to all these sounds and more, balancing MTV hits ("Save It for Later," "They Don't Know," "Our Lips Are Sealed," "Trouble") with songs that were staples on college radio in the '80s: 's "Sitting Still," "Big Brown Eyes," ' "The Bulrushes," 's "Towers of London," ' "How Soon Is Now," and 's "Killing Moon." remain true to the sweet, slightly wistful, guitar-heavy aesthetic they etched out on the earlier albums and it fits these robust melodies, placing an emphasis on the songcraft and the duo's harmonies. While they never reinterpret the songs -- sometimes the arrangements are stripped-down, as on 's "More Than This," but the attitude remains the same -- & identify why each of these tunes remains beloved, by audiences large or small, and the faithful, heartfelt nostalgia combined with the pair's participation in the scene makes the best trip down memory lane the duo has yet made. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine