Thunder is a good way to start a song. I was thinking this on Sunday night as thunder rumbled away outside our window, the odd flash of lightning and rain fell like stair rods. And while scrolling through a folder of songs, looking for something else, I found this song and clicked play. It started with thunder and I don't ignore those kind of coincidences. It's a gorgeous song too, a cover of a Mary Margaret O'Hara song, by Ivo Watt Russell's 4AD dreampop collective This Mortal Coil. (off their final album Blood, from 1991). The thunder is followed by a slow heart beat pulse bassline and then we're into dark night of the soul territory- and we come out feeling better.
Help Me Lift You Up
Tragically, the beautiful voice of this song, Caroline Crawley (whose main band was Shelleyan Orphan, a psychedelic, folk-pop group) died in October 2016 after a long illness. Which makes this sad sounding song all the sadder.
Gorgeous cover of the exquisite original. O'Hara's Miss America album is perfect in every way, no wonder she hasn't been able to deliver a follow-up nearly 30 years on.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm all for coincidences. Keep up the great posts!
Darren
Darren is spot on, 'Miss America' is terrific. This is quite lovely too.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful voice.
ReplyDeleteShelleyan Orphan was an unfairly neglected band that occupied a darker side of Post Punk, not quite Goth, a more poetic darkness, one hinted at on may Cocteau Twins songs, and fully occupied by label mates Dead Can Dance. I really love this version of Help Me Lift You Up. Caroline's voice is missed.
ReplyDeleteSo great to see some love for Mary Margaret O'Hara too. Makes my day. For so long I thought I was the only one...
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