As a long-time fan of the original, it’s always a pleasure to hear this particular melody and story line. Lord Toph’s version really has a refreshing and genuine level of passion and soul that comes quite unexpectedly. It’s a song everyone knows, or more accurately, it’s a song that has a hook that everyone knows, and actually, in this case I was more inclined to listen in on the verses (and to watch the singer’s performance of it in the accompanying video).
It’s a stylish performance and it’s enjoyable to hear the song in this new setting. The voices bring something a little different, and the track on the whole has something of an indie rock vibe fused with that soul as touched upon earlier. The distorted guitar notes add a little weight and variety to the mix, and the meeting of voices towards the end has a slightly live sound to it, something that is likely to remind listeners of their own late night group attempts to express the apparent joy of this song.
Lord Toph’s version keeps things happy and optimistic, full of a lust for life, a questioning nature, and of course the somewhat good news outcome following the potential sadness of a relationship that isn’t quite working. Though maybe more accurately it’s a song about positive change, getting out of a bad situation and working together to make things better. Either way, the hook is as infectious as ever and this particular version is a soulful and very real take on the whole thing. It works well and it’s a pleasure to rediscover such a classic song and also to discover a brand new artist with a great love for music and singing and performance.
By Rebecca Cullen
Rebecca is a Musician and writer from Manchester, UK, with an MA in Song Writing.
