Something caught my eye while I was surfing around on Insound the other day. I saw it in my peripheral vision, and did a double take to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. Because it almost sounded too amazing to be true, but it is true. I saw it with my own two eyes and then ordered it immediately.
The Constantines and Feist covering the famous duet written by the Bee Gees and popularized by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers: "Islands in the Stream". Available on 7" vinyl.
Did someone make this just for me? I knew those two were friends, with the Canadian indie rock connection and all, plus Feist likes to drop a lil "Nighttime/Anytime (It's Alright)" into her live performances of "Sea Lion" (which thrilled me). But I didn't realize they have a taste for the old school classics too.
The original song is so incredible, and so ingrained in my musical DNA, that I'd probably be incensed if any two other artists decided to cover it. I mean, how can you improve on the voices of Kenny and Dolly? They're masters. Witness:
Feist and The Constantines tossed out the spunk of the original and imbued it with a somnolent sincerity. Give it a listen. The thought of this collaboration was definitely more exciting than the final result, but I'll still be happy to get the record in the mail.
Meanwhile, I'm counting the days until The Constantines release their third album, Kensington Heights, on April 29th.
- Buy the "Islands in the Stream" 7" by Feist and The Constantines from Insound.