When Life Is Cool frontman James Reilly told us ahead of the band’s Take Cover Lincoln performance — in reference to Bogusman — that it had “tucked that track into a bed of white satin and kissed it good night,” we could only guess what that would mean. The Lincoln ensemble trades in a slick, upbeat ‘80s pop aesthetic; hypothetically marrying the two seemed like a feat in itself, let alone executing it.

But the transformation became clear as the first few notes of “Song About Chess” swelled from the band’s brass duo, imitating Lee Lorberg’s thorny lead. That grand intro gave way to a bright, bouncing synth beat and three part harmony, clearing the song’s chugging guitars and relentless rhythm section to make way for a dark, funky groove. Life Is Cool recast the sludge punk banger as a glistening dance-inducing pop song and laid us all down to bed.

Watch “Song About Chess” below:

Video: Lauren Farris, Lindsey Yoneda
Audio: Aaron Markley
Edit: Lindsey Yoneda