With her latest release, Tacoma’s SaraEllen takes a bold left turn through familiar terrain, reimagining Hole’s classic “Doll Parts” as a moody, jazz-inflected trip hop reverie. Stripping the song of its grunge snarl, she reveals the quiet ache and irony in Courtney Love’s lyrics, letting them breathe in an entirely new emotional register. Built on a laid-back breakbeat, vintage keys, and smoky baritone sax from Brad Carter, the arrangement feels both intimate and cinematic. SaraEllen’s vocals glide between restraint and release, capturing the song’s vulnerability without merely mimicking its original rage.
SaraEllen’s solo output has always leaned darker and more theatrical than her work in the indie jazz-pop duo Plaid Lion, and “Doll Parts” fits comfortably into that haunted, Lynchian world. Recasting the track as something sultrier and more reflective, SaraEllen’s interpretation carries echoes of Portishead and Morcheeba hovering in the mix. Released by the artist earlier this month, this version of “Doll Parts” feels like a genuinely exciting act of interpretation, rather than a novelty cover, and it honors the original while confidently staking its own sonic identity. It’s an almost unthinkable gamble to turn Hole into trip hop, but it pays off magnificently.
