Alicia Bognnano spearheads Bully, an alt-indie project that originally started out as a rock band. In her cover of the Jackson Browne original “These Days” performed at SiriusXM, she cultivates a chill-mournful magnetic sound.
This has been, and will always be a lyrically rich tune to cover. “These Days” is rife with regret and longing to begin with, but Bognnano’s vocals amplify the words tenfold. When compared to her older releases, like her track “Trying,” this cover is more ethereal, with far less forward-motion. The sheer breadth of expression she has conveyed throughout her decade-long career is impressive. In this cover of “These Days” Bognanno’s vocal timbre almost reminds me of a Hayley Williams ballad.
Despite being originally penned by Browne, many folks think of Nico when they hear the tune. Shortly after the original version by Jackson Browne was released, Nico released it on Chelsea Girl. Her album was actually released within the year, which is likely why some people think she wrote it first. Bully has a bit of that “Nico-esque” feel in this cover—but dare I say it?—I think this live performance was more polished.
For more great Jackson Browne covers, click this link.
