False Heights have offered a fresh take on a classic 90s Cranberries song, bringing a grittier edge with the release of their cover of ‘Zombie’.
The adaption of the track — which arrives on the 30-year anniversary of the original’s release — sees False Heights duo April and Ashley Pirie sketch new contours with racing guitars, thrashing drums and expressive vocals.
April and Ashley, the tight-knit couple hailing from Taupō, New Zealand, pay homage to the Cranberries original while delivering on the heavier, alternative signature they’ve become known for.
False Heights’ ‘Zombie’ roars into focus with clashing cymbals and pulsating bass, as driven by an exhilarating guitar melody.
The duo’s punkish flair gets its moment in the sun through April’s vocal performance, which flits between infectious sneers and guttural broods with finesse.
This pop punk quality is what sets False Heights’ version apart, with a fast-paced, energetic tempo and a grittier aesthetic than the 90s original.
This later takes the form of a climactic and quieter bridge that ultimately explodes into an absolute belter of a final chorus.
False Heights close it out with an extended electric guitar solo outro, screechy and cathartic enough to fill-out the mosh pit of a heaving stadium.
For all its divergence from the source track, the duo’s take on ‘Zombie’ also takes note of what works, as April offers a worthy recreation of the topline melody while making it wholly her own. ‘Zombie’ is the perfect song for an act like False Heights to cover.
Over the course of their career, the pair have carved out a sonic lane that inhabits both the 2000s rock sound of Jimmy Eat World and Blink-182 and the powerhouse pop, singer-songwriter energies of Taylor Swift and Paramore.
The sheer charisma of their music project has landed them on stages with the likes of Pat Benatar and ZZ Top, and at major festivals from Rhythm and Vines to Sanctuary Sounds.
False Heights’ latest covers follows ‘A Little Bit More’ as the second single released by the duo this year, with fellow track ‘Inside Your Head’ arriving in 2023.
Another release is scheduled for this year, but in the meantime, get swept up in False Heights’ revelrous new cover of ‘Zombie’ below.
