While a number of notable singer-songwriters, such as Bill Callahan, recently paid their debt to Leonard Cohen in the run-up to his latest release, Damien Jurado has been similarly honored as a new record hits shelves by a few fellow Pacific Northwest musicians influenced by his work. Dolerean’s Al James, The Head and the Heart’s Jon Russell, and Pickwick have all turned in reverent cover tunes from the Jurado oeuvre to the Seattle Times newspaper. This take, however, is a favorite: “Last Rights,” Sunny Day Real Estate frontman Jeremy Enigk’s moving vision of the 2008 Caught In the Trees track — complete with upfront, double-tracked vocals and a stunning string arrangement provided by Phil Peterson. Check it out below:
Robin Pecknold: “Olivia, In A Separate Bed”
In light of Dylan’s brilliantly cutting “Ballad In Plain D” being one of my favorite breakup songs ever, tonight’s “demo”/”work in progress” from Robin Pecknold sure hits home. That said, the heart of this new tune, “Olivia, In A Separate Bed,” finds the Fleet Foxes frontman in a different place than Dylan was — there’s no bitterness here, just a lot of regret and pensive reflection on the aftermath of a year spent rigorously touring behind the band’s sophomore effort.
“I chose the love of strangers,” he confides. “I chose the fickle crowd. And the woman I wagered won’t look at me right now.” Here’s hoping this forlorn guy finds solace from his self-described “sadsack mode” soon, but in the meantime, this is some truly gorgeous stuff:
Willy Mason Shares New Album Track
It’s been a half-decade since his sophomore LP, but Willy Mason returns this year with a fresh sonic footprint courtesy of producer Dan Carey. Hear the first single off his forthcoming third record along with more info and first impressions thataway.