If you are going to cover other people’s songs, then you need to bring something new to the table; otherwise, what is the point? Of course, you could offer up a faithful rendition as a tribute to the original artist, but to do so will often open yourself up to accusations of merely riding coattails; no, it’s better to add something to the musical record by putting your own spin on things. And that is exactly what we find Maura Dunst doing on her latest EP, _Violin Songs _.
The Foxgloves multi-instrumentalist also imposed a simple rule on herself when making this gorgeous solo effort by limiting her sonic weapons of choice to a quartet of violins blending soaring melodies and pizzicato rhythms, and just one voice. The result is the sort of elegance only found in understatement.
Violin Songs opens with Sheryl Crow’s “Strong Enough,” here moved from its country-pop roots into the realm of the timeless folk ballad, a vibe that ripples throughout the EP as a whole. Perhaps the most magical transformation here is her reworking of “Dancing in the Dark”, a song that Springsteen wrote in response to the powers-that-be’s demand for a radio-friendly single. Again, there is an intimacy and heart that is hard to find in the original (perhaps because of the inherent cynicism of its backstory), and those who don’t know the chronology could be forgiven for thinking that this is the original, later picked up and rocked out by the bigger name.
Hoziers “Work Song” retains its chain gang blues groove/gospel prayer spirituality, now filled out by the most delicate of violin lines. *Brandi Carlisle *‘s “The Eye” moves from its lush acoustic-pop place of birth to a mandolin-driven song that sounds like it should have been sung in an Irish pub two years ago, as much atmosphere as it is music.
The EP rounds off with Everybody Hurts, a song that R.E.M. already imbued with so much heartache and pain, here pushed even further into such tormented ecstasy, but in the most beautiful of ways, if that is even possible.
Violin Songs is more than just a collection of great covers; it is the art of sonic alchemy playing out before the listener.
