Black Midi have released ‘Cavalcovers’, a three-track EP of cover songs recorded during the studio sessions for their recent second album, ‘Cavalcade’.
The songs were originally shared to fans on ultra-rare flexi-disc pressings sent to fans that pre-ordered copies of ‘Cavalcade’ on vinyl. There were five in total, however two of those – a medley of ‘Psycho Killer’ by Talking Heads and ‘Roxanne’ by The Police, and a stunning rendition of Prince’s ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ – were omitted from yesterday’s (March 22) release.
Instead, the ‘Cavalcovers’ EP comprises Black Midi’s takes on ‘21st Century Schizoid Man’ by King Princess, ‘Love Story’ by Taylor Swift, and ‘Moonlight On Vermont’ by Captain Beefheart. The opening track is particularly notable, as it marks the first time that all three members of Black Midi have shared the lead vocals on a song. It also features the talents of saxophonist Kaidi Akinnibi, who fans will often spot performing with Black Midi on tour.
The record also offers drummer Morgan Simpson his first shot at playing the role of frontman, delivering the lead vocals on the ‘Moonlight On Vermont’ cover.
Have a listen to all three of the covers below:
The ‘Cavalcovers’ EP comes as Black Midi kick off an 18-show run of North American tour dates – they played their first in Madison, Wisconsin last night, with a show in Chicago set to go down tonight (March 23). The tour will end with sets at both weekends of this year’s Coachella, with a sideshow at Berkley’s UC Theatre sandwiched between them. More details on Black Midi’s US and Canada tour can be found on their website.
‘Cavalcade’ was released last May via Rough Trade, following singles ‘John L’, ‘Slow’ and ‘Chondromalacia Patella’. In a four-star review, NME’s Will Richards called the album “a remarkable left turn”, writing that “across the album’s eight songs and 40 minutes, [Black Midi] traverse noise rock, unhinged jazz, ambient folk and beyond”.
Richards continued: “Black Midi will almost definitely never make easily digestible or understandable music – they’re probably as excited and confused about where they’re heading next as we are – but to focus on the finer points and try to make sense of it would be to miss the overall point of the band. Simply going down the rabbit hole with these deeply weird, brilliant musicians will never be less than exhilarating.”
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