I’ll hold my hands up and admit this gem (spoilers – this is a great reworking of an old classic) somehow slipped through the net upon its release so much so I didn’t even know it existed for several months despite being rather taken with MuddiBrooke from the second their EP landed in our inbox. And even after checking it out soon after, I’ve just not had a chance to give it the Classic Cover treatment due to the sheer deluge of great releases we’ve been sent in the last few months to review (someone play the world’s smallest violin, please).
Chances are you probably know this Lesley Gore number already. Either from the doo-wop/blue-eyed soul original where its lyrics are hemmed in by the backwards attitudes towards women in the 60s or from a more recent version (2015) by Saygrace which kept the gospel elements but in line with a pop sound of the 2010s and has been used in several TV ad campaigns.
If you like what we do, consider joining us on Patreon for as little as £1 per month!
Naturally, the Derby-based band have bent the song to their own will to make this a grungy number, reflective of their own sound. It’s with that darker rock-based sound along with vocalist Harriet McDonnell’s delivery, and modern attitudes (admittedly as a society we’re still not where we should be), there’s a mixture of anger and defiance. It’s far more out in the open in this version with the alt-rock/grunge trio spitting at the old-fashioned attitude of any individual and society at large. The lyrics aren’t exactly the hardest to decipher for this song but the band work well with their subject, evoking the disdain and cynicism which was prevalent in grunge’s heyday.
Don’t fancy Patreon? Buy us a one-off beverage!
As the restrained guitar work matches the vocal delivery in the verses, the subtle pushback transforms into anger in the chorus before reverting. However, as the anger boils, it returns, unfettered for the crescendo, and much like in the video below, no punches are pulled (hopefully no equipment was harmed in the recording of it). Bringing fresh attention to one of Gore’s most notable songs which has stood the test of time, MuddiBrooke are able to deftly re-frame it for the 2020s with a similar but far more pointed sentiment.
Header image by Jason Bridges
Check out our Classic Covers playlists from 2021 onwards
MuddiBrooke: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | youtube
