It’s always odd when an artist covers one of their own songs, throwing a new spin on their own back catalogue. Bob Dylan’s been doing it for years now, performing near unrecognizable versions of his own tunes in the live setting, while Sufjan Stevens’ decision to transform his own 2001 record Enjoy Your Rabbit into the 2009 and ‘remake’ Run Rabbit Run was as odd as it was touching.
And yet Will Toledo of Car Seat Headrest has taken the cake this week, crafting a ‘Simlish’ version of his own song Not What I Needed off his most recent record Teens Of Denial.
For those of you not in the know, ‘Simlish’ is the language spoken by the onscreen ciphers in the game The Sims. It’s mostly nonsensical jargon, all cotton-mouthed mumbling, a child’s approximation of human speech.
Make no mistake then: this cover is odd. Like, deeply odd. But you know what? It kind of works. Maybe that’s proof that Toledo’s songwriting can hold up under extraordinary pressure – even when you layer his bangers with nonsense, you still get something strikingly listenable at the end.
The song was released to coincide with The Sims 4: City Living. Is this the first in a stream of brand endorsements for young singer-songwriter Toledo? Given how surprisingly well this one turned out, we can only hope.
Car Seat Headrest is also heading to Australia in the new year as part of Laneway Festival, and will also play a slew of sideshows.
Listen: Car Seat Headrest – ‘Not What I Needed’ (Simlish Cover)
Car Seat Headrest Laneway Sideshows
Tickets on sale now.
Wednesday, 25th January
Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
Tickets: Laneway Festival
Friday, 27th January
The Curtin, Melbourne
Tickets: Laneway Festival
Thursday, 2nd February
The Gasometer Hotel, Melbourne
Tickets: The Gasometer Hotel
