For the first several trips through, I thought this collection of covers offered an hour's worth of proof that many indie artists don't share the safely ironic attitudes of so many of their respective fans. I mean, Will Oldham wouldn't put his name on a version of Mariah Carey's "Can't Take That Away" unless he actually liked the tune, right?

Then, I suspected that Guilt by Association might just be another example of the Hipster Nation's exasperating ability to have it both ways. When faced with criticism over their decision to remake Cher's "Just Like Jesse James," the supreme parodists of The Mooney Suzuki could easily dismiss their own work as a joke, a lark, an insult disguised as a tribute. And thusly I could admire or despise them for it, right?

Finally, I gave up on motive, and just listened. After all, whether you're enjoying something of questionable substance archly or sincerely, the point is you're enjoying it. And there's plenty to enjoy here, from Petra Hayden's mostly a cappella "Don't Stop Believin'" and Luna's jazz-lounge take on Paula Abdul's "Straight Up" to Superchunk revving up Destiny's Child, Casey Shea beautifying System of a Down, and DIY icon Mike Watt reverently ripping through the Blue Oyster Cult classic "Burnin' for You." Hell, canny NYC singer-songwriter Goat even manages to turn Fall Out Boy's "Sugar, We're Going Down" into something worthwhile. A few tracks, like Devendra Banhart's disinterested "Don't Look Back in Anger," fall short, but by and large this comp succeeds in its aim to lighten up on the guilty in favor of emphasizing the pleasure.—Scott Harrell