Covering the songs of others is an act as old as song itself. Even today, in the realms of blues, jazz, and folk, it remains the tradition that songs have a sort of shared ownership, there to be reinterpreted and reimagined by your fellow music makers. For me, what makes a cover work or not is whether the artist can understand the piece and get to the heart of the song. They might change the delivery; they may take it down a different sonic path, but capturing the song’s spirit, I believe, is everything.
Larry Beckett, poet, lyricist, and perhaps best known as friend of and collaborator with Tim Buckley, has released his fifth album, again working with singer/guitarist Stuart Anthony, this time bringing us their take on the songs of mid-twentieth century music icon, Jacques Brel.
As “Litany for a Return” opens the album up, it is clear that the two have reimagined those gorgeous and recognisable chansons as a more rock-infused sound, but, as I said, it is capturing that essence, which is key, and the romance and heartache that typified Brel’s work is always present, even if it lands with more energy and drive than the originals. This is the perfect balance of reinvention and reverence.
“The Next Lover” perfectly captures the anticipation and expected demise of a future relationship, and Beckett has said that one of the reasons he undertook this project, apart from the fact that they are fantastic songs to honor, was that he never felt previous translations were accurate. This, then, gets to the core of the lyrical meanings whilst being musically adventurous.
“Tenderness” revels in a 60-infused psychedelic rock sound, “I Loved” is dreamlike and drifting, and “Madeline” is understated and folk-infused, perhaps drawing a line between Brel and later balladeer, Leonard Cohen.
Aided and abetted by Mike Hodgkins on drums, Matt Canty’s bass, and with piano, keys, flute courtesy of James Edge, Beckett and his musical posse have created something wonderfully finessed – an album that pays obvious homage to the brilliance of Jacque Brel, but which does so through a modern musical filter.
Those who are already fans will love these new interpretations; those new to his world will find this the perfect place to dip their toes into these succulent sonic waters.
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