metrocake

I’ve had two instances now where i hear a popular song, like the song and the vocalist…but can hear someone else doing the song just as well, if not better. It’s maddening!

The first time this happened was with Gary Jules’ cover of “Mad World,” for the Donnie Darko soundtrack. It’s beautifully done — it takes a great, gloomy pop song and turns it into an elegy. Jules rocks the song. But, for this song at least, his voice is so immensely close to Michael Stipe’s (R.E.M.) that I keep expecting Stipe’s and not getting it. Every time I hear the song, somewhere in my head I’m wondering how it would sound sung by Stipe — what would his interpretation be?

Same thing now with Gwen Stefani’s “Early Winter.” Compare and contrast with Shirley Manson of Garbage. (For the short list, try this one.) I hear “Early Winter,” and I keep thinking Shirley Manson. And I love the song, and I hum the song, so here I go again, making myself nuts… :) In this case, it’s not even just the vocals — the production style, that layering, seems very similar to me too.

Screw it. I’m going to go listen to Minus the Bear. Oh, wait, they sound like….actually, THEY DON’T! XD