Cover Commissions offers readers a chance to choose what song a featured artist covers for this blog. Any artists interested in participating, contact us.
In April we premiered a cover of the Outfield’s “Your Love” by Land of Leland, the project of multi-instrumentalist Justin Keller. We asked you to vote on the next song he should cover, and with less than five votes separating the top choices, “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac squeaked by as the winner. Now we’re excited to premiere that cover.
Justin says of the song:
When I was young I thought everything my parents were into was lame by association. And like everyone else their age, they had Rumours on vinyl. So until an embarrassingly recent realization, I had no interest in Fleetwood Mac. “Everywhere” was the song that woke me up. It was an especially fun song to cover because I usually write fairly abstract lyrics that can be left to interpretation, but “Everywhere” is so direct and bold. It feels good to sing stuff like that sometimes. No wonder everyone loves The Mac.
Justin has definitely given this the Land of Leland treatment. The softly picked guitar and muted drums surround his multi-tracked, half-whispered vocals. The upbeat pop of the original is now a shuffle; Justin almost slurs the lyrics, and his accompaniment never rushes. The song sounds like the equivalent of a comfy bed on a cold morning; warm tones filling the cavernous space he has created. By the time his saxophone solo melts into the mix, an instrument that rarely plays a starring role these days, it’s as welcome as it is unexpected. Just like wanting to stay in that warm bed, you may find yourself listening to this “just one more time” before heading out to face the world.
Check out more from Land of Leland at his website and Bandcamp
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