You heard right: Bob Dylan is indeed going to release an album of Frank Sinatra covers on Feb. 3, 2015.

And yes, this sounds like a recipe for disaster — one that set the Internet abuzz earlier this week. But don’t be too quick to dismiss the idea.

Earlier this week, Dylan announced “Shadows in the Night,” his 36th studio album that will be a recording of Sinatra covers.

Though I’m giving Dylan the benefit of the doubt, there’s no shortage of reasons to be skeptical about the plan.

For starters, Sinatra was nicknamed The Voice. Even though he died in 1998, his voice is still one of the most widely recognizable and known voices around. Though you could argue Dylan’s musical legend is comparable to Sinatra’s, he’s never been known for his voice. Even in his prime in the 1960s, Dylan’s voice was a pretty drastic shift from the singers known for their voice — many inspired by the likes of Sinatra.

Dylan has always thrived on his writing. But now age — and likely smoking and other vices — have turned his voice into a gravely question mark. You never know what you’re going get, especially when it comes to live shows. I’ve seen Dylan perform several times, and it’s a coin flip — at best — that you’ll be able to interpret or understand his mumblings. One show was absolutely terrible.

However, until now, his studio albums have been cushioned from the issues with his voice, largely thanks to the recording process. But in taking arrangements originally recorded with a 30-piece band and refining them for a five-piece band, Dylan said in a press release that the songs were recorded in one to two takes and didn’t use separate tracking. In simple terms: It was recorded more like a live album than a studio recording … another reason to worry.

To be honest: I’ve expected a terrible album from Dylan since his resurgence in the 1990s and 2000s, but his studio work has been reliable. Even “Christmas in the Heart,” his Christmas cover album, was quite enjoyable. It’s no classic, but it’s pleasant enough when taken for what it is.

Is Dylan’s voice going to contrast starkly to Sinatra’s? Absolutely, but that’s not a bad thing. I’d rather listen to a cover album from a musician with a starkly different voice from the source material. What good is a cover that sounds exactly like the original?

Fans and critics alike have been expecting a complete bombshell from Dylan for decades, as he’s shifted styles, adapted to a changing voice, switched from acoustic to electric, etc., etc. But one thing’s always been the same: Dylan comes out alright in the end. Dylan has a knack for going in weird directions and making them work.

 

‘Shadows in the Night’ Track listing

1. I’m A Fool To Want You

2. The Night We Called It A Day

3. Stay With Me

4. Autumn Leaves

5. Why Try to Change Me Now

6. Some Enchanted Evening

7. Full Moon And Empty Arms

8. Where Are You?

9. What’ll I Do

10. That Lucky Old Sun