Jem Cassar-Daley is an indie-pop artist who recently recording an alluring and calming version of Gwen Stefani’s 2006 solo hit “Sweet Escape” for the Triple J radio show Like a Version. Her cover began with a surprise: a whisper-sung phrase “Sweet escape, sweet escape.” Whereas the original was boppy and pointed, this version is rounded, tranquil, and at moments, almost mournful.
The overall arrangement of the hit song is extremely creative: from placing the ‘woo-hoo’ melody on the guitar to the choice of keyboard sound on the Nord Stage 3. The lead singer’s vocals have perfect diction, painting an even clearer picture than the original. The subtle bright percussion and dark-timbered guitar make everything well, sweet! The trio creates a slow burn of a crescendo up until the final chorus, which brings everything back down to a gentle pianissimo.
And for more great Gwen Stefani covers, click here.
Ah! This is a nice new find for me, Jem. I like the way she (like Rumer) doesn’t oversing – and lets the song find itself … the arrangement is great. That sizzling ride cymbal is a real nice sound on a pop song.
I also like (in looking up other songs of hers) how she’s singing about love and (persumably) her personal life, but doesn’t seem to wallow in dysfunctionality like Olivia Rodriguez or Lady Swift.
In other words, I don’t get the sense (as I do with the former two) that she’s dating people just so she can crash and write a song about them later. lol
Last plus: I like gals who take on a dude name (as Jem would be pronounced out loud) and make it work. I have gal friends named Jack and Christofer and it’s always a cool contrast because they’re both also very feminine.