Listen Up
Duets and covers define our week in music
Perfume Genius + Empress Of: When I’m With Him
Reworking her original version of “When I’m With Him,” Empress Of (aka Lorely Rodriguez) has teamed up with Perfume Genius (aka Mike Hadreas) for this dreamy and dramatic version, where Hadreas takes lead vocals. While it’s technically billed as a cover by Perfume Genius, it’s a duet—aided by production from Jim-E Stack, who also worked on the original. Moving away from the midtempo, bilingual iteration, this new take is a soaring but delicate ballad.
Micropixie: The Universal (Blur Cover)
One of seminal English act Blur’s most beloved tunes, “The Universal” gets a fresh take from Micropixie, aka Neshma Friend. The cover carries the pressing intention of the original, but layers vocals and instrumentation in a refreshing, albeit loyal way. Friend has an album, Dark Sight of the Moon, coming out 8 March.
Rodrigo y Gabriela: Echoes (Pink Floyd Cover)
Mexican acoustic guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela return with a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Echoes” and the announcement of a new album, Mettavolution. Their first release in five years, the track once again highlights Rodrigo’s profoundly nuanced fingerpicking and Gabriela’s depth of rhythm. The energy within the new song honors the original—all 19 minutes of it. Their forthcoming album, which features the tune, will release on 26 April.
Better Oblivion Community Center: Dylan Thomas
After the critical success of supergroup boygenius, musician Phoebe Bridgers has embarked upon another collaborative project worth all the chatter. Better Oblivion Community Center, formed with longtime indie darling Conor Oberst, released their debut self-titled album on 24 January—and now a music video for the standout track, “Dylan Thomas.” Directed by Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner, the video blends blindfolded activities with live performance and virtual reality, as seen from the role of an observer.
Listen Up is published every Sunday and rounds up the new music we found throughout the week. Hear the year so far on our Spotify channel.
