Glaive (aka Ash Blue Gutierrez) is a singer-songwriter, producer, and rapper who is currently signed to Interscope Records. His cover of Death Cab for Cutie’s “I Will Follow You Into the Dark,” recorded for Spotify Singles, brings distinct dissonances, subtle rhythmic variations, and vibrant harmonies. But the truth of the matter is that the dark nature of “I Will Follow You…” has always pulled at heartstrings. The lyrics focus heavily on death’s presence in our lives. And Glaive has pulled this one off with some real finesse.
The chord substitutions and added dissonances are tasteful but never stray too far from the tune. In the second verse, Glavie chooses an alternate melody, nearly a counter-melody to the original. This is paired with a chugging bass which is playing running 8th-notes. The cover gradually ramps up, adding a driving electric guitar which crescendos, but then swiftly falls back into a folky, understated second chorus. The final chorus closes with a pleasant surprise: all of the instruments drop out, leaving nothing but Glaive’s pure voice inside of a vocoder. Beautiful.
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