Sharon Van Etten Adds Intimate Touch to the Smiths’ “Last Night I Dreamt Somebody Loved Me”

Sharon Van Etten has been making her case to be considered one of the most talented songwriters around. Her music gushes with beauty, but holds back enough to keep the listener yearning for more. It comes as no surprise then that her cover of The Smiths’ “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me” is gorgeous. The soul in the performance is spectacular and the whole thing sounds like it could have been done in a smoky bar.

The song sounds intensely personal and it’s easy to understand why when you look at the struggles she’s faced in her personal life (she was in an abusive relationship). Her voice is filled with an emotion Morrissey could never match and the simplicity of the arrangement brings it out even more. The passion with which it is performed makes it sound like Sharon Van Etten was the actual songwriter, a mark of a truly great cover. (via A Heart is a Spade)

MP3: Sharon Van Etten – Last Night I Dreamt Somebody That Loved Me (The Smiths cover)

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Check out more from Sharon Van Etten at her MySpace and on her website.