This one is for the all The Smiths fans out there. Or maybe not actually. Depends on how you feel about cover songs in the first place I guess. A couple weeks ago I was looking into some cover songs, specifically The Smiths, and stumbled upon this 2005 cover of "This Night Has Opened My Eyes" from the group At The Drive-In. When you see a groups name associated with a song you like it's always a risk as to what you're about to listen to. Will it be great? Terrible? Just ok? Better than expected? Covers are a tricky thing and everyone will have their personal preference as to what a cover should actually represent.
The Smiths' original version of "This Night Has Opened My Eyes" was released in 1984 and was written by guitarist Johnny Marr. With a medley that is both dark yet relaxing, the original is a classic Smiths track. I have to admit seeing At The Drive In show up on a list of covers for this song had me intrigued but I didn't expect much. To my surprise I discovered a song that kept the feeling of the original yet made it sound modern for the times. Most covers you want to see some kind of differentiation from the original while keeping more than just the lyrical content. At The Drive-In's cover may sound safe when you think of it that way but it ends up becoming its own song thanks in part to lead singers Cedric Bexler-Zavala's vocal arrangement. Hearing this version takes you back to that era of music that is now over 15 years old (insert sad gif) and deep into nostalgia for those of us that were in college around that time frame.
Enjoy the cover and then hear the original and compare if you have yet to hear The Smiths' original. Discovering music is never ending, every now and again take some time to do some digging and reap the rewards of music you can add into your daily listening.
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