Rostam Shares Cover of The Clash’s “Train in Vain” and Lucinda Williams’ “Fruits of my Labor”

In celebration of his acclaimed return, Changephobia, Rostam shares a deluxe digital version of the album featuring two new covers, “Train in Vain” by the Clash and “Fruits of My Labor” by Lucinda Williams. Both songs, bittersweet anthems to relationships past, fit perfectly within Changephobia’s embrace of endings and new beginnings. Check out both of the songs below:

The uptempo “Train in Vain” barrels forward, allowing Rostam no time to look back, only enough to move on. With “Fruits of My Labor,” he lets himself sink into those memories, where sorrows arise, but so does a new clarity. Looking back also means witnessing how far one has come, a distance is ultimately viewed as a victory.

Fusing his baroque sensibilities with newly introduced elements of jazz and neo-psych, Changephobia utilizes the latter’s improvisational nature to reflect the constant shifts, both cultural and personal, people experience throughout their lives. It touches upon global warming (“These Kids We Knew”), sex (“Unfold You”), and the intimate beauty of everyday spaces such as the automobile (“4Runner”, “From the Back of a Cab,” “Kinney”). Jazz players like sax player Henry Solomon (Haim, Big Sean, Mon Laferte) intertwine with Rostam’s pop background and lofty voice, forming a tender, lush collection of songs.

Changephobia drew praise from Pitchfork, the Los Angeles Times, Esquire, NPR, New York Magazine, and countless others. Rostam also appeared on The Late Late Show with James Corden where he was interviewed by James and performed the single “From the Back of a Cab.”