Civil Wars release a special 10″ vinyl EP for Record Store Day’s Black Friday sale on November 29. The four-song disc, Between the Bars, feature studio recordings of cover songs, including Portishead’s “Sour Times,” Elliot Smith’s “Between the Bars,” Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” and the Romantics’ “Talking in Your Sleep.”
Joy Williams and John Paul White are no strangers to performing cover songs. What’s been so exciting about the songs they’ve chosen throughout their short career is the range of artists they’ve opted to embrace that don’t fit into their rootsy image. Who could have imagined that the duo’s take on UK downtempo group Portishead’s “Sour Times” could work so well? Williams’ vocal take is beautified compared to original singer Beth Gibbon’s more dour (but still awesome) approach. There’s still a haunting air about the track when the track unleashes a fury starting with piano stabs that is further accentuated by White’s underrated singing prowess.
The four-track EP Is rounded out by a cover of Elliott Smith’s “Between The Bars,” a glowing duet where the group’s voices intertwine throughout the song, a cover of Michael Jackon’s “Billie Jean,” and a stripped down version of The Romantic’s hit classic “Talking In Your Sleep.” The latter is driven primarily by piano, although White’s guitar peeks through occasionally.