Every so often the indie community embraces an older generation musician, either for their accomplishments and talent or in a more ironic way. This seems to be occurring with John Denver recently, as his heartfelt, borderline-cheesy folk songs have surfaced in unexpected places like a Pretty Lights remix of “Country Roads” from the summer and Trevor Powers’ recent cover of “Goodbye Again,” recorded in a session for Sirius XM’s college-themed station under his Youth Lagoon moniker.
Replacing Denver’s delicate guitar riffing with percussive keyboards and noodling electric guitar, Youth Lagoon’s cover captures the same sentiment as the original but updates the sound almost forty years to today’s indie conventions. Powers’ raspy voice sounds raw and strained, a departure from the clear, warm tones that made John Denver famous in the ’70s and keeps him relevant for his now middle-aged fans. Despite the sonic differences, Youth Lagoon seems to understand the song well enough to present it respectfully and faithfully. Stream and download the performance below.
MP3: Youth Lagoon – Goodbye Again (John Denver cover)
[audio: News1211/16GoodbyeAgain.mp3]
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