Stream: With Tomorrow/I’m On Fire by Olof Arnalds

You have to be careful with cover songs. I’ve heard some awful ones. Some so bad that I can no longer listen to the original. A perfectly good song completely ruined because the aftertaste left in my mouth by a horrible cover (Guns n’ Roses stab at Dylan’s “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” or Smashmouth doing “I’m A Believer” comes to mind). But there are some transcendent ones, too. Covers that are so good that the original can’t even touch them (I love you Leonard Cohen but “Hallelujah” didn’t exist until Jeff Buckley and his ethereal coo coaxed the notes out of his guitar). And then there are the covers that fall somewhere in the middle. Close enough to the original so as not be an abomination, but interpreted and delivered uniquely enough so as to add something of value. That’s where this pair of covers by Icelandic singer/songwriter falls in. With just an acoustic guitar and some hushed vocals, Arnalds weaves a beautiful and seamless medley out of Gene Clark’s “With Tomorrow” and Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire”, more a lullaby than a song by the time she’s done with it. Listen below.

Chris aims to expose viewers to some of the most legit tunes of the times, peeling back the layers of what’s relevant in current music events, with up-to-date posts of new artists and releases. Living in Chicago, Chris manages his own blog dedicated to new music releases, clips of new musicians, and announcements of upcoming shows at cool venues.

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