New York Connection

Ardent fans of '70s British glitter-rock pioneers Sweet may take issue with the fact that guitarist Andy Scott is the only original member in this lineup, but it’s hard to argue with an album of covers that sounds this good. And since countless bands have covered their share of Sweet songs over the years, it’s interesting and refreshing to hear the tables turned. This set opens with a brilliant version of “New York Groove” that sounds equally inspired by Hello’s 1975 original and KISS guitarist Ace Frehley’s 1979 cover—save for a well-placed bridge that was harvested from Alicia Keys’ “Streets of New York.” Sweet's take on The Black Keys’ “Gold on the Ceiling” plays like the Keys wrote it just for Sweet to cover. Sweet takes the 2011 song and pipes it through a 1974 filter with period-correct junkyard-glam guitar tones, handclaps, and vacuum-sealed vocal harmonies that sound imported from “Fox on the Run.” The band also gives Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen’s “Because the Night” a pair of silver platform boots and a matching cape.