While too many cover versions tend to be pale imitations of the original, a good cover can reveal a song in new ways. It’s also a bit of a truism that the ability to be interpreted in different ways is a mark of a good song.

Here’s couple of covers I like. First, Katrina Leskanich finds the melodic, almost sad, ballad at the heart of Kirsty MacColl’s “They Don’t Know”, then Jason and the Scorchers turn Bob Dylan’s “Absolutely Sweet Marie” into a roots rock party stomp.