We’ve had a string of lousy hot days lately. They drain you of all your energy, make you want to wear as little as legally possible and make a trip out for water ice/cold beer/gelato an essential part of your daily routine. During one of the few times I have totally succumbed to the humid beast and lounged about contemplatin life I assembled this list of love songs covers that are appropriate for such sweltering lazy summer days.
Nothing Matters When We’re Dancing (Magnetic Fields) – The Antlers
The Antlers have been getting a lot of murmuring as of late and this cover of indie darlings Magnetic Fields is a excellent example of their skills. Its slow and beautiful, respecting the original’s ethereal-ness. If you like this listen to their own stuff its fantastic too.
Chasing Cars (Snow Patrol) – Natasha Bedingfield
Snow Patrol’s original is fantastic love song but when Natasha Bedingfield wraps her superb vocals around it new depths are discovered. The sparse accompaniment counters her delivery quite nicely.
To Love Somebody (The Bee Gees)- Damien Rice & Ray LaMontagne
The brothers Gibb don’t get enough credit from our generation. Beyond their work on Saturday Night Fever they produced some notable singles. This track is amongst the best and when in the care of Damien Rice & Ray LaMontagne it becomes sigh inducing.
Whole Wide World (Wreckless Eric) - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Fans of the movie Stranger Than Fiction [the scene with the flours is one of the best romance scenes in the last ten years] and the television show How I Met Your Mother know the soundtrack moment perfection this song is capable of delivering. Elvis Costello’s live delivery is almost as good as Will Ferrels version in the movie but it suffices.
Pain In My Heart (Otis Redding) – Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Grace Potter has pipes and that’s what it takes even attempt Otis. While this may not be your typical love song that doesn’t mean it isn’t the love song some people needed to hear this summer. Ms. Potter puts a masterful bit of soul into this version the does anyone’s heartache justice.
Into The Mystic (VanMorrison) – The Swell Season
To close things out I give you an Irishman covering a fellow Irishman. I’m anxiously waiting the Swell Seasons new album (due out this fall) and find myself resorting to relistening to everything of theirs I have. Hansard puts his all into his take and you get the sense he has been covering this song for a long while.
Nice selection of jams.