Courage My Love is a pop punk band from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, and consists, at the core, of twin sisters Mercedes and Phoenix Arn-Horn, who were trained in classical music. The band was named one of the Top 100 Bands You Need to Know in 2012 by Alternative Press magazine, and, earlier this year, Courage My Love was nominated for a Juno award (Canada’s Grammys) for Best Breakthrough Group of the Year. So Courage My Love has an impressive CV, and, now, it seems that these sisters have their eyes set on capturing the dance music market. Yes, that’s right. They have issued a remix disc on iTunes of their song “Skin and Bone” done by six different producers or acts, including ClearSky, IYFFE, Reunify, AAXO, Backwood and others. So this EP is more of a tool for DJs than anything else, though fans of the group may get something out of it.
Here’s the thing, though: I’ve listened to this EP countless times, and I really can’t tell much of a difference between the remixes. “Skin and Bone” seems to be a good song, but it’s like these remixers were all in the same room, sharing the same ideas. I can’t hear the difference. Can you hear the difference? If there is a difference, it is so subtle and minute that you have to wonder why the group bothered to release six remixes of the same thing. Wouldn’t one remix have sufficed? Still, this is a group that appears to making waves nationally and internationally, and it would be natural that Courage My Love would be seeking a broad crossover appeal, considering they were discovered in a battle of the bands competition in Stratford, Ontario (the hometown of, cough, cough, Justin Bieber). So this remix EP is fine, but hardly startling. If you’re looking to start a dance party, buy it. If you’re a major die-hard fan that must have absolutely everything (though how many of those are out there, I don’t know), buy it. Everyone else? You can skip this without missing too much. Save your pennies (wait, Canada doesn’t have pennies anymore) for the next bonafide release.