Allie Goertz releases album of Nine Inch Nail covers

Solo artist Allie Goertz, previously operating under the cossbysweater moniker, has built a reputation for her humorous and satirical songs, winning a growing following worldwide. Since capturing her original material in the studio back in 2015 with her debut five-track EP, Sad Dance Songs, Allie has continued to charm and entertain her audience with her unique blend of wit and musical talent.

Her latest effort, however, marks a stark departure from her usual sardonic style. With Peeled Back: A Tribute to Nine Inch Nails, Allie Goertz delivers an impressive and ambitious project, covering fifteen of the pioneering band’s songs in her own stripped-down style. This cover album is a profound expression of appreciation for Nine Inch Nails and showcases Allie’s ability to reinterpret and breathe new life into these iconic tracks.

Peeled Back is a truly bold and daring undertaking that reframes Trent Reznor’s industrial rock anthems with a fresh perspective. By keeping Trent’s melodies the core focus of the arrangement and infusing his lyrics with her own feminine vulnerability and strength, Allie offers a record that’s at once a tribute and a reinvention. The result is an album that allows listeners to experience these familiar songs in an exciting new way.

The album’s creation was entirely funded by a Kickstarter campaig, and the goal was met within six hours, attesting to Allie’s dedicated fanbase and their enthusiasm for this unique project. This overwhelming support highlights the trust and anticipation her listeners have for her artistic vision as well as the anticipation for seeing how she manages to reimagine the works of a legendary and innovative band.

Opened by the soft keys and acoustic guitar plucks of “Closer,” Allie’s delicate vocals carry the lines with hushed delivery. Building the arrangement with the steady pulse of percussive taps and the gentle touch of strings, the song develops with the subtle punch of drums and staccato string shots to provide the first taste of Allie’s incredible new project.

“Ruiner” sees her reframe the song with a minimal blend of strings and crunchy percussion as she spins the angsty lyricism with flair and exquisite precision, flickering between the elegant melodic stretches and lively rolls of fast paced vocal lines. “Big Man with a Gun” switches the vibe with a playful and upbeat jam built on the laid back groove of shuffling drums and warm key tones as the biting lyricism is juxtaposed by Allie’s silky vocals.

Other highlights on the record include covers of “Reptile” where the graceful flutter of acoustic guitar notes and blissful texture of strings underpin Allie’s alluring vocals. Adding deep bass tones, intricate percussive elements and chiming tones while still retaining the intimate, folk pop style of the song, it’s a superb example of the artist’s ability to take existing music and filter it through her own sonic lens.

No Nine Inch Nails cover album would be complete without a take on “Hurt,” a song immortalised by the late great Johnny Cash and presents a stunning rendition that manages to pay tribute both to Trent Reznor’s writing and Johnny Cash’s version. With an alternative country setting, Allie’s version of “Hurt” blends dazzling vocal layers with the mournful sweeps of slide guitar, resulting in a beautiful version of the song that instils its emotive context and does justice to the timeless quality of the song itself.

Closing the album with “Wish,” Allie’s voice is met by the sparse patter of deep percussive textures to craft an eerie and ominous scene that takes flight with the stellar string arrangement. Stitching the familiar melodies and lyrics into a moody folk fabric, it provides the perfect finale to Allie Goertz’s astonishing new album. Across the fifteen covers on Peeled Back, Allie Goertz offers an engaging and inviting listening experience that confirms her ability to take the work of other artists and apply her own sonic perspective that both pays respect to the originals while presenting them in a completely new and entirely unique way.

Listen to Peeled Back below