dolphinshark:

Cover Story

(In Which We Cover Covers)

Yoni Wolf - “Shoot the Singer (1 Sick Verse)” [Original by Pavement]

In memorial for the WHY? sit-down tour that was canceled on Wednesday, let’s end the week with leader singer Yoni Wolf doing a solo voice + piano cover of a song by Pavement.

“Shoot the Singer (1 Sick Verse)” comes from Pavement’s Watery, Domestic EP (aka “the one with the chicken on it”), and holds the rare distinction of being a Pavement song that sounds a little bit sad. Malkmus, Spiral, et al. did a lot of things, but they rarely did sad songs. They were too cool, man. Even a track like “Shoot the Singer (1 Sick Verse)” isn’t really a sad song; it just sounds a little sad for a Pavement song. It’s a subtle thing.

So, all of my kudos¹ go to Yoni Wolf for recognizing this, and bringing it out in his cover. Slowing it down and stripping it down to just his voice and a sparse piano accompaniment allows the song to fully realize its emotional power. Sections like the ending repetition of “Don’t expect” talk on a completely new, and completely depressing light in Yoni’s hands.

It’s the sort of thing that you always want to see in a cover. The basic elements of the song remain, but it’s interpretation gives it an entire new meaning.

Download this track and some other Yoni live cuts here.

-TWG

1. I have exactly 42 kudos.