Even though nobody will ever be able to top Whitney Houston’s breathtaking 1992 version of Dolly Parton’s classic “I Will Always Love You”, which deserves recognition as one of the best covers of all time, minimalist Brooklyn duo Howth do a commendable job with their own interpretation of the song. Their organ drone, xylophone tinkering and pair of acoustic guitars weave a delicate and emotional frame for the painfully sad lyrics, especially the ones everybody doesn’t immediately recognize.
Singer Carl Creighton might not have Whitney’s incredible vocal abilities, but he brings out a pretty, soft falsetto for the triumphant final chorus and the trace amounts of folky hoarseness in his voice give the performance an endearing sense of sincerity. A faint echo effect on the vocal track also gives it some depth, at times making him sound like a less-moany Jim James of My Morning Jacket. Check out this masterfully-executed track below. (via We All Want Someone)
MP3: Howth – I Will Always Love You (Dolly Parton cover)
[audio: News0511/06IWillAlwaysLoveYou.mp3|artists=Howth|titles=I Will Always Love You]
Check out more from Howth at Bandcamp or Tumblr.
John Doe also did a fantastic cover of this.