As a cover-heavy album, Country Favorites was something of a stopgap disc, issued as the Volebeats readied a proper new full-length release. It’s a pretty respectable one, though, and not purely a covers exercise, as it’s actually half-comprised of original material. It’s the covers that might raise the most eyebrows, though, as they’re not what you’d expect from a band lumped into the alt-country bin. Among the tunes tackled are the 13th Floor Elevators’ “I Had to Tell You,” ABBA’s “Knowing Me Knowing You,” Funkadelic’s “Maggot Brain,” Slayer’s “Die by the Sword,” and Serge Gainsbourg’s “Manon.” Not yer average staples of the alt-country repertoire, no siree, though the York Brothers’ “Hamtramck Mama” is less of a surprise. The treatments are appealingly imaginative and low-key, and not always in the country-rock bag either, with both “I Had to Tell You” and “Knowing Me Knowing You” bearing a distinctly Byrds-ian ring. More adventurously, “Die by the Sword” sounds like a Chocolate Watchband-ish slice of acid folk in their hands, while “Maggot Brain” has a spaciness reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s gentle side. That’s not to discount the generally more country-slanted originals, which usually have a nicely downcast aura, the twangy “One I Love” being an exception. – Richie Unterberger