Aug 172021
 
Christian Lee Hutson

Shania Twain wrote “You’re Still the One,” the biggest hit yet of her career, about her then-husband/producer Robert “Mutt” Lange. (They divorced many years later, so it just goes to show you that even a massive pop hit can’t guarantee success in marriage.) Lange being Lange, the original song has tons of instruments and backing vocals (including Lange’s) on it. It’s a typical ’90s country pop ballad with a little too much shine and sparkle for the simplicity of the message.

We last met former Driftwood Singers singer-songwriter Christian Lee Hutson on the Saving for a Custom Van tribute Adam Schlesinger tribute. Hutson is an indie folk singer with three LPs and three EPs under his belt. For his cover of “You’re Still the One” he’s joined by Australian singer Julia Jacklin, a regular here at Cover Me.

From the beginning, Hutson plays it more restrained; there is only a ringing guitar or two, Hutson’s double-tracked vocal, and drums. Jacklin joins him on backing vocals for the chorus, as does what sounds like a marimba. (An interesting choice to be sure.) For the second verse, Jacklin takes the lead, turning it into a proper duet.

It’s a nice, restrained take on one of Shania’s best songs. Check it out below:

Jun 292020
 

Saving for a Custom Vanjenn champion the blue album

Adam Schlesinger died on April 1st from COVID-19 complications. Not even three months later, “collaborators, tourmates, friends, and fans” put together Saving for a Custom Van, an extensive tribute album spanning songs from his varied career. Schlesinger is best known for being a founding member of Fountains of Wayne, but he also was in the more indie band Ivy and the supergroup Tinted Windows (with members from Hanson, Cheap Trick, and The Smashing Pumpkins). He also wrote songs for a variety of movies (Music & Lyrics, That Thing You Do!, Josie and the Pussycats), television shows (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), and Broadway (the postponed show, The Bedwetter) that also make an appearance on this tribute album.

The resulting collage of covers is heartfelt and plays like a personal mix tape of sorts. This makes it hard to pass any judgment. Overall, it is a powerful homage that also educates listeners on the history of Schelsinger’s work. In the sad context of the album, lyrics stand out as especially poignant, from the sad irony of “All Kinds of Time” to the evergreen “Troubled Times.”

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