No Doubt‘s ballad “Don’t Speak” was their big crossover hit, the song that really made them. All these years later, it is still their biggest song. It’s a little uncharacteristic of their sound on their third album, the breakout Tragic Kingdom, but that’s likely one reason it crossed over. This probably also explains why it is far and away their most covered song – it’s not even close.
San Fermin are an indie rock/chamber pop octet that have been releasing albums for over a decade. They’ve brought that chamber pop sound to this No Doubt song, perhaps their song in the catalogue most suited to such a treatment.
The opening sounds very familiar, with an acoustic guitar and a lone woman’s voice. However, the song retains the no frills arrangement throughout the first verse, though a banjo and a double-tracked voice are added right about where you expect Stefani’s second vocal to come in. The second verse is where the chamber pop sound really kicks in, with a cello accompanying lead singer Claire Wellin.
The most obvious difference is probably in the chorus, at least the first time we hear it (and part of the second). It’s incredibly stark compared to the original, though that changes part way through the second go round and especially in the coda. Though it gets quite lush, the backing instruments remain quite restrained, staying in the back of the mix compared to the vocals and guitar. It’s really only in that coda where the chamber instrumentation really becomes prominent.
It’s extremely pretty. Check it out:
