Nick Cave may have started in the Birthday Party—”the most violent live band in the world”—but his latest release a bit more toned down: an old-timey style cover of Edith Piaf’s “La Vie En Rose.” It comes from producer Jack Antonoff’s The New Look soundtrack, which has showcased period-appropriate versions of popular oldies by famous musicians and groups such as The 1975 (“Now is the Hour”), Lana Del Rey (“Blue Skies”), and more.
The show focuses on designers Coco Chanel and Christian Dior inside of Nazi-occupied Paris, France. Cave’s deep baritone voice was gritty and rich in the heartfelt version of the French song. This nostalgic cover is floating on a jazzy cafe-style piano with a steady quarter-note beat. About halfway through, Cave’s voice seems to fade into the distance, and orchestra-feeling saxes, and chimes/bells come in.
Cave takes his time on some unexpected syllables and even adds a spoken word section in the middle. Between the instrumentation, production, and weary/melancholy, the delivery makes it feel like it is coming from World War II.
