Along with promoting his most recent album, I Love You, Honeybear, Father John Misty has been busy doing acoustic covers of a number of other songs, including Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box" and Leonard Cohen's "Bird on the Wire." Now, he's tackled Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs." Check out the performance below, as well as the exclusive interview with CBC.
Father John Misty covers Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs"
Father John Misty Talks with CBC Music
Father John Misty talks to NME about his decision to cover Arcade Fire
In his cover of "The Suburbs," Father John Misty slows the tempo and straps on an acoustic guitar, setting a dramatic, intimate stage. His voice jumps between a folksy croon and a flawless falsetto as he sings of nostalgia and a "loss of innocence." Just when we think the song can't get any better, Misty closes with a soulful whistle, mimicking the guitar outro from Arcade Fire's original version.
Despite moments of harsh self-deprecation, Misty is always insightful. In the interview with the CBC, he expands on what growing up in the suburbs meant to him. He describes the suburbs as a kind of "bait and switch," where, growing up, he felt like the area was his "domain," a place of security and freedom. Yet, after returning to his hometown just a few years ago, Misty recalls the moment when he found it oddly inappropriate to walk around his old neighborhood late at night. The remainder of the interview is spent talking about songs from his latest record, including the Springsteen-inspired "Bored in the USA."
The interview with NME feels far more candid, but then again, Misty is a hard one to read. Sarcastic, dry, and slightly cynical, Misty explains that covering another song wasn't his decision at all. He said he was persuaded to do so by a Canadian radio station and his manager, claiming that's just "how these radio things go." Whether his sardonicism is genuine or not, it's difficult to tell. Whatever the case may be, Misty proves to be just as skilled at covering other people's music (however reluctantly) as he is at writing and performing his own.
I Love You, Honeybear is available on Amazon (Vinyl, CD, MP3) Be sure to stream the album for free and read our review here on Zumic.
For Father John Misty's latest music, news, and tour dates, check out his Zumic artist page.
Source: CBC YouTube Channel
