Michicant

Good Winter

Michicant by Bon Iver

Recommended by Kim C.

"Hi hello I have a challenge for you, and it's a little lengthy, so write about this one when you have some extra time. I'd like you to listen to three versions of Michicant. First I want you to listen to the original by Bon Iver. Then listen to Kina Grannis' ukulele cover. And lastly, have a go at Mree's version (the video is nice to watch itself). I'm giving you this challenge because 1) I have a deep love for this song, 2) Kina and Mree are two of my favorite singer-songwriters and their different takes on the song are interesting and 3) I don't think you've had any covers on this blog? And I figured you wouldn't back down from a challenge. Hope you enjoy!

P.S. Sorry this is so long but Justin Vernon tweeted about Mree's cover when she first posted it. How cool is that?!"

Listen, I did have that one cover of the Mii Channel Theme by the One Ups. And technically speaking, Blue Bayou and Ring of Fire (I know, right? Crazy.) are covers even though the cover is the most popular version of those songs. But you're right - we're lacking in the cover department.

This is the second Bon Iver song that you've recommended (the first can be found here). I like their chill vibes. It's dreamy, like you're floating in a cloud of sound. It's musical impressionism, where you're not really hearing anything clearly. 

Like the lyrics. You're not sure what Vernon is saying, and once you do make out the lyrics...you're still not sure what they mean. It's poetry.

I like how he says 4 long minutes end, and the song is about 4 minutes. Good stuff.

Michicant by Kina Grannis

I dig the ukelele. Makes it kind folksy. It still has the same relaxed vibe, especially with the way she layers the background vocals over the top. 

She does her own arrangement, and it's a little shorter. Too bad, really. I could listen to 4 full minutes of this. 

Her voice is beautiful, and the emotion really comes through in the way she sings. I don't know if it's because it's just her and the ukelele that makes it feel more intimate, but this cover just sounds more expressive. Or maybe it's because I'm watching her sing versus looking at nature in the Bon Iver video embedded above. (So compare this live Bon Iver performance here.)

I think it's because the instrumentation of the original sounds more faraway. It's like Vernon is thinking about an emotional situation that happened a long time ago, and he's watching it from a more detached position.

Michicant by Mree

This might be my favorite version. It reminds me more of the original than Grannis' cover, with that detached feeling. As I listened, I realized that it's not really an absence of emotion. Just because there's some time between now and past pain doesn't mean it doesn't still hurt. It's just different.

You look back, and you have a new perspective on past situations. It's the same pain, colored with new experiences. You maybe have some new regrets or maybe you have kind of moved on, but you don't forget.

Overview:

Genre:

Singer/Songwriter

Favorite Moment:

Right after my favorite lyric, Hon, it wasn't yet the spring. These oohs from Mree's cover.

Verdict:

I have to listen more to pick a favorite, but either way these are three lovely versions of a great song.