Arcade Fire, you’ve been Montgomeried. It’s a real treat when an artist’s brand is strong enough to resonate almost immediately with what they stand for, and evoke a sense of excitement all the while maintaining an ultra cool nonchalance. Like dropping a tag over the top of a Banksy only to make it cooler, our very own Montgomery has just reworked the seminal Arcade Fire track, Wake Up.
A cover that transcends the original is a rare yet beautiful thing to stumble across, and Montgomery has delivered what is sure to be the defining cover of any Arcade Fire song. Listen to her version of Wake Up now!
We all know the original Arcade Fire version, led by those muscular guitars that play off the epic string section and Win Butler’s indistinguishable voice. It’s a pretty solid track that sits nicely amongst the Arcade Fire catalogue. Yet Montgomery’s cover of Wake Up manages to take the song a few steps further to capitalise on the dreamy nature of the song. We loved her previous release New Clear War, and this cover is just another reason why Montgomery is worthy of praise. Her vocals loosely follow the same melody, a little slower but incredibly emotive, allowing you to hang onto every word she sings just a little longer. The outro finds her voice turned down, almost hiding behind the sparse piano with the whispering quality to her voice. It really draws you in for those final moments of the song, and as it gently fades out you’ll find yourself wishing that it could stay with you.
The serene vocals are definitely a winner, but what is truly engaging about this cover is the music Montgomery uses. To put it simply, it sounds like an original Montgomery song and you’d be forgiven if you didn’t realise straight away it was a cover. The slowly pulsing beats sound like a gentle heartbeat and tenderly propel the song forward. The layered synths work magically, the ripples and echoes are transfixing. She continues to add the layers with the synths building behind her voice, utilising the full extent of the sense of wonder and excitement hinted at in the original. Word of advice, don’t listen to this cover of Wake Up while crossing the street because you will immediately forget to concentrate on what you’re supposed to be doing for those breathtaking four minutes.
Her re-working is so majestic, it’s as if this song never belonged to Arcade Fire in the first place. So what are you waiting for? Listen to it below!
FIND OUT MORE ON
▲ FACEBOOK ▲ iTUNES ▲ I OH YOU
