Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time (Remixes)

The evergreen classic has been remixed by Alex Gaudino, Bent Collective (Danny Verde and Steven Redant) LordWardd, and Nervo as part of the promo for the 30th anniversary edition of the She's So Unusual album which includes additional material in the form of alternate remixes, edits, and dubs that were previously unreleased on CD or in digital form. This song was also remixed by Eddie Baez and Josh Harris in 2005 when Cyndi remade the song with Sarah McLachlan for her The Body Acoustic album.

Alex Gaudino's mix is the most melodic of the bunch, using all of the vocals and some of the chords and keys from the original. Bent Collective's big room mix is vocally driven but takes an unorthodox approach to the backing melody. LordWarddd's mix has an 80s synthpop vibe. The dissonant melodic structure is a bit jarring at first, but it's actually done quite well. Nervo's experimental approach omits most of the vocals. It's understandable that they tried something different but it doesn't work well here. Alex Gaudino and Bent Collective's mixes are the best of the bunch.

Listen to some of the mixes here: (YouTube)

• Bent Collective
• Nervo

The Nervo mix is available as part of the pre-order for the new edition of the album here (iTunes)

Grade: A-

Sarah McLachlan - Loving You Is Easy

This is the lead single off of her first proper studio album since 2003's Afterglow. "Loving You Is Easy" is a nice uptempo. It's a welcome change to hear something 'happy' from her, even though she does those moodier, introspective tracks so well too. She sounds fantastic on this. There are some dance remixes of this by Brad Walsh and Dave Aude. Brad takes things in an electro/synth-pop direction. It has a cute 80's throwback feel. Dave opts for a chilled, uplifting sound. Both mixes are wonderfully executed.

Listen to the original here (YouTube)
Purchase the digital single with remixes here (Sarah's store on Sony Digital)

Grade: A+

Sarah McLachlan - One Dream

She is back after somewhat of a long break with a new song called "One Dream" which was recorded especially for the 2010 Winter Olympics which will be held in Vancouver. Stylewise, this doesn't stray too far from Sarah's usual which could be a good thing. New material from her is always a good thing as it has been quite a while since she has released something new. Her last proper album was released in 2003. Her vocals sound great. The lyrics are uplifting and beautiful.

The digital single will be available for purchase one September 29, 2009. Until then, listen to a clip here (Amazon)

Grade: A-