A celebration of the 41st anniversary of the iconic label 4AD's founding, Bills Aches Blues gathers covers of songs from the imprint's storied history as performed by artists on its 2021 roster. However, the collection focuses more on some chapters of that story, and some artists, than others: Grimes, Deerhunter, and Pixies are all represented with two songs apiece; there are three by the Breeders. To be fair, Tkay Maidza and Bing Ruth bring fresh viewpoints to "Where Is My Mind?" and "Gigantic," respectively. Maidza transforms what might be the band's best-loved song into loping electro-indie that has more in common with Santigold than Black Francis and company, and the ambient duo makes "Gigantic" a five-and-a-half-minute instrumental reverie that could never be accused of following in Pixies' footsteps too closely. tUnE-yArDs try to out-fuzz the Breeders' version of "Cannonball" but can't obliterate the song's catchiness completely, while Bradford Cox heightens the band's experimental undercurrents on his stark interpretation of "Mountain Battles." There are other adventurous moments: Helado Negro gives a serenely introspective twist to Deerhunter's "Futurism," and Jenny Hval completely reinvents Lush's "Sunbathing," transforming it into a flash of heat shimmer with beaming synths and slightly scorched guitars. Elsewhere, deep cuts make for some of the most striking performances. Maria Somerville's ambient pop makeover of Air Miami's "Seabird" is an unexpected standout, and the Breeders' minimalist folk version of fellow Midwesterners His Name Is Alive's "The Dirt Eaters'' honors the original's mystique. Bills Aches Blues doesn't spend much time with 4AD's earliest days; U.S. Girls' reimagining of the Birthday Party's "Junkyard" into witchy exotica and Future Islands' ultra-'80s version of Colourbox's "The Moon Is Blue" are the closest the set gets to representing the label's old guard. The collection gets a bit meta with SOHN's cover of This Mortal Coil's transcendent version of Tim Buckley's "Song to the Siren," but his simple and sincere reading of the song acts as a bridge between the other versions and provides one of the brightest highlights. Compilations like these are almost always a mixed bag, and Bills Aches Blues is no exception. Nevertheless, it's entertaining overall and supports a good cause: the first 12 months' worth of the project's profits benefits the Harmony Project, an after-school program that supports children in Los Angeles who lack access to arts and music education. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi

1		Where Is My Mind?
2		Junkyard
3		Revival
4		Dirt Eaters
5		Seabird
6		Cannonball
7		Genesis
8		Futurism
9		Postal
10		Gigantic
11		The Moon Is Blue
12		Sunbathing
13		Oblivion
14		Mountain Battles
15		Song to the Siren
16		The Wolves Act I and II
17		Misery Is a Butterfly
18		Off You
19		Off You