Macy Gray has got it 'Covered'

Before she became a major-label star with her 1999 breakthrough "On How Life Is," Macy Gray was best known for her wild live shows, where she would mix interpretations of her favorite soul and reggae classics with her unique sense of humor and weird takes on Doris Day and Melanie.

After releasing a string of thrilling, underappreciated albums, Gray has returned to the old days with her new album "Covered" (429 Records).

Though the attention-grabbers come from her unexpected tackling of Radiohead's "Creep," a staple in her live show for years, and Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters," Gray's ability to confound expectations goes far deeper here. Her soulful twist on My Chemical Romance's paranoid glam-rocker "Teenagers" is glorious, while the panicked time-signature-shifting on Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Maps" is truly inspired. She even makes Colbie Caillat's "Bubbly" sound grown-up.

The way she patches together Kanye West's "Love Lockdown" and Nina Simone's "Buck" is brilliant, just another example of how the unique workings of Gray's mind yield amazing music.

MACY GRAY

"Covered"

GRADE A-

BOTTOM LINE It's Macy's eclectic parade of hits