Welcome to The Silver Tongue’s Download Den.
Here is where we will pass along the most intriguing and worthwhile songs that we’ve been fortunate enough to discover. Many are songs we’ve been obsessing over, while others simply snuck up and got their hooks in us. We’re not concerned with genre limitations or mere trendiness. We simply want to open the door for you to join us in listening to music that is making us excited about the power of a song. Check out the Download Den daily, and the least we can do is help soundtrack your day.
2012 found the Canadian rockers Metric releasing Synthetica, a sexy, often fun album of bouncy rhythms, shimmering synth, and big choruses to cap off spitfire Emily Haines’ barbed wire lyrics. Many Metric fans and critics happen to love Synthetica and consider it to be the best record of the band’s career. You can see one such opinion in depth with our The Silver Tongue review of the album, courtesy of Will Donelson. Personally, Synthetica isn’t my favorite from release from Metric – that honor goes to 2009’s Fantasies, which houses “Gimme Sympathy.”
Earlier this year, Elliott BROOD, an outstanding trio of fellow Canadian rockers with their own 2012 album, Days Into Years, worthy or reverence, chose to dig into the Juno-Award-winning Fantasies for a fitting Metric song to cover. They opted for “Gimme Sympathy ” and stripped the song of its synth lines and new wave textures to best suit their winning brand of gothic folk with an electric backbone. The trio incorporated acoustic and electric guitar, drums, and their lovely, signature banjo to make bold changes to the song and leave a distinct Elliott BROOD imprint.
Switching up the instruments on hand wasn’t the lone fundamental change Mark Sasso, Casey Laforet, and drummer Stephen Pitkin made to the tune. They also switched out The Beatles and The Stones for Bob Dylan and Neil Young, and left “Here Comes the Sun” behind for “The Needle and The Damage Done” and “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall.” The changes are inspired moves, and they play in favor of Elliott BROOD’s strengths. With the Toronto trio making the sound all their own and contributing their trademark harmonies to the chorus, Gimme sympathy / after all this is done / Who would you rather be / Bob Dylan or Neil Young? / Oh seriously / You’re gonna make mistakes / You’re young / Come on, babe, play me something like “Needle and the Damage Done,” Elliott BROOD’s adventurous take on Metric’s “Gimme Sympathy” is a cover worth seeking out and playing on repeat.
Download: Elliott BROOD – “Gimme Sympathy” Hard Rain Mix courtesy of Paper Bag Records
Elliott BROOD’s Days Into Years is out now via Paper Bag Records.
Metric’s Synthetica is available courtesy of Mom & Pop Music, while Fantasies is available on Metric Music International.
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