Bat for Lashes’ 2012 ballad “Laura” marked high water point in her career, complementing a minimalist orchestral arrangement with soaring, highly emotive vocals. Dresden Dolls’ Amanda Palmer recently released a cover of “Laura”, working in collaboration with Australian pop artist Brendan Maclean.
The newly released cover strips the track of its orchestral elements, reducing it to piano and similarly theatrical vocals. The piano skews lighter while the vocals conflictingly convey more pain than the original. Palmer dedicated the track to her deceased friend Anthony’s wife, aptly named Laura. The authenticity of Palmer’s pain imbues the already tear-jerking track with a uniquely beautiful melancholia.
The duo additionally released a video to complement their new cover. The video, like the song, is highly minimalistic, consisting of black and white concert footage with little editing.
In addition to the newly released cover, Palmer confirmed she is planning to release a new album in the coming months. The album will be Palmer’s sixth studio LP and third released under her own name. Theatre is Evil, Palmer’s most recent release (2012), received near universal acclaim.
Palmer completed her album after three straight weeks of studio work with The Legendary Pink Dots’ Edward Ka-Spel. The eclectic Englishman co-wrote, arranged, and recorded many of the songs set to feature on the album. Palmer’s album will be released in both physical form (CD and vinyl), as well as digital form.
Watch the video for Palmer and Maclean’s cover of “Laura” below.
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