When it comes to a band covering even the most obscure songs by legendary artists, there are two schools of thought. One believes that the cover should take artistic license so as to “stand out” from the original, while the other prefers a faithful, respectful interpretation that bears close resemblance to the version everyone already knows and loves. I tend to fall into the latter category, which is why I do not enjoy seeing Bob Dylan in concert.
Austin heavy post-punk band Knifight get so many things right with their take on a classic, yet not widely known song from David Bowie’s Low album. This cover of “Breaking Glass” is a unique track not included on their forthcoming album, V. So, there’s that as well.
Visually, the band made the right choice to go with mostly abstract, pixelated/kaleidoscopic designs with a few film stills thrown in for balance. Aurally, the instrumental arrangement gets the feel of Carlos Alamar’s guitar and Brian Eno’s mini-moog as close to perfect as you’d want them to be while still allowing Knifight to insert its own identity into the track. But What I love so much about singer John Gable’s vocal performance on this clip is how it really showcases the profound influence that 60s pop icon-turned-avant-garde recluse Scott Walker had on the development of Bowie’s own vocal style. Whether that was intentional or not, Gable really nailed it.
V will be available February 10th, 2015 on LP, CD and download via KnifightMusic. Enjoy!
