Cover songs are cop outs. It’s an easy way for a band to get their name out there with an [almost] guarantee of some radio air time without having to put the effort into either A) finding a songwriter themselves or B) actually writing a song themselves. Plus the redone version will probably only last for 6 weeks at the most, then fade into the song archives getting minimal hits on iTunes store. Think about it: how many times have you heard Don McLean’s “American Pie” redone, and how many times does the original keep popping up on your playlist? Does anyone actually still listen to Madonna’s version?

But all of that is null-and-void if the band finds the 1 in a million way to actually make cover songs their own.

Reel Big Fish is that band.

To stand out from the other cover albums, Reel Big Fish scoured the music archives looking for that perfect inspiration for their latest album,  Fame, Fortune and Fornication. The orchestra-esque band came up with 10 classic rock hits to spin their reggae sake-punk sound to really twist these timeless tunes into something of their own.

Covering everything from hair band Poison’s “Nothin’ But a Good Time” and “Talk Dirty to Me” (pre Bret Michael’s pseudo celeb-status on VH1’s Rock of Love) to Tom Petty’s “Won’t Back Down,” Reel Big Fish does the originals justice while spicing them up a big to keep their signature flare. Take Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl.” Originally, a DJ standard in bars like Cheers that gets everyone singing. Reel Big Fish amps up the volume, throws in some a trombone and trumpet and makes it nearly impossible not to bounce along to the reggae-infused beat.

Sure, you can’t beat the original, and you shouldn’t expect a cover album to be better than the original. You just want something different. You want a band that pushes the envelope to cover the song but doesn’t lose their sound.

Reel Big Fish doesn’t play it safe, raising the standard for other cover albums to come.