Singers from all genres lend branded style in covers
It’s really a revelation: That moment when you stumble upon — or tumble upon — one of your favorite tracks, with a fresh, new voice behind the mic. A few weeks ago, The Mix took a look at some of the most listen-worthy covers on the Web, and today we’re back with a whole new crop of well-done takes on everything from ‘90s classics to that indie song you assumed was still undiscovered.
1. “Free Falling” — Ben Rector (Tom Petty cover)
Ben Rector has already stolen hearts with his easy-going, off-the-cuff tracks about love, life and everything happy. His most popular hits, like “Loving You is Easy” and “When a Heart Breaks” from his 2010 album “Into the Morning,” have established the Christian contemporary meets acoustic pop/rock songster as one to watch. But his recent take to the Internet for a cappella covers of long-loved songs have made the 25-year-old artist undeniable.
After the tragic loss of industry great Whitney Houston, Rector put his spin on “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” However, one of his older videos, a cover of “Free Falling” by Tom Petty, adds so much character to the already great acoustic artist. Rector starts his cover in the kitchen, blending the slamming of the freezer door, a double-fisted beat on the counter, the clinking of ice and a little run on the ivories into the foundation of the song. In his ear buds and striped v-neck, Rector moves to his sofa for a sit-down with the acoustic guitar, his stand alone voice playing off apartment acoustics to make something great.
The video can be found on Rector’s YouTube channel, benrector.
2. “Black and Gold” — Adele (Sam Sparro cover)
Adele is the reigning queen of the love song — emotional and affected in every lyric she sings, regardless of whose words they may be. The soulful British star, who really seems to embody a perpetual state of angst and unresolved, raw emotion, has taken on her fair share of covers. She has recorded, and performed many a time, The Cure’s “Lovesong,” which fits right in to her playlist of love-gone-wrong songs. Adele has also lent her star-studded, powerhouse vocals to Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love.”
But there’s one song, unrecorded and limited to online forums, that sticks to the lyrical love loss, but infuses a little bit of Top 40 spunk into the songstress’ rather gloomy set. “Black and Gold” by Australian singer/songwriter Sam Sparro earned some top single nods in 2008 and 2009, really settling into the spot of one-hit wonder for Sparro. But Adele breathes a different, smokier and more sultry life into the dance hit in a very unpolished, but nonetheless golden rendition.
3. “Jolene” — Zac Brown Band (Ray LaMontagne cover)
Just last week, Zac Brown Band rolled through Columbia and put on one of the best Colonial Life Arena shows the city’s seen in years. The band’s frontman, complete with a mountain man beard and signature beanie, belted out the best of the band, the genre and the country in a more than two-hour set. His voice, complete with a Southern grit that just barely peeks through a flawless, rich tone, lent itself to the most genuine and perfectly performed sets.
The set was peppered with mixed and mashed covers — as is their entire musical showing — with a mention-worthy run of Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic.” But one that wasn’t worked into the lineup is one of their best: Ray LaMontagne’s “Jolene.” New Hampshire’s LaMontagne first made the song famous in 2004 with the release of his first studio album “Trouble,” bringing his critically acclaimed folk rock cool to the mix. However, Zac Brown and the band offer a new kind of energy to the powerful song, telling the tale of lost love’s struggle complete with drugs, booze and a whole lot of hard times.
“Jolene” is recorded on Zac Brown Band’s third album, 2008’s “The Foundation.”