Under the Covers: Motown Showdown

So the new Raconteurs disc has been in my car CD player since Tuesday, and it still hasn’t gotten old. Despite being way too short for my liking (10 tracks, just over 30 minutes), the duo of Jack White and Brendan Benson makes every second count, crafting one of the most solid albums (call it indie, rock, pop, whatever) of 2006. This one’s worth picking up, kids.

In honor of the Raconteurs, I’ve got a covers post featuring both of the gentlemen from Detroit who front the outfit. The song is “Folk Singer,” originated by Brendan Benson. His original is probably one of the best tracks he’s done, containing all the insanely catchy lyrical turns and humming bridge sections that make him great. On the other hand, when Jack and Meg White take on the song during a set on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic, they completely make it their own, cutting the song in half so it fits with the blistering White Stripes pace, and changing the chorus from a melodic refrain to a screaming declaration. It’s really impossible to choose one over the other, mainly because this is exactly what a cover should be.

Brendan Benson—Folk Singer
The White Stripes—Folk Singer