Flora Smith paid us a visit back in November and we noted that some of her inspiration comes from The Beatles.
So perhaps it is not surprising that she has recorded her take on The Beatles’ classic ‘Something’ from the ‘Abbey Road’ album, giving it a touch of soul with a dash of jazz.
We rarely write about covers but will do if they definitively add something to the original and/or shake it up a bit and she’s managed to do both. Like a clever chef who fancies a change from Scouse Pie.
The song starts off with what sounds like a British suburban doorbell ringing and Flora definitely lets in an intriguing interpretation, one that is quite sexy compared to George’s original, almost breathy at times, while she lays down a distinct marker with some smart pitch variations and a couple of Lily Allen style Cockney vocalisations which also serve to set it apart.
It’s a stripped back version with not as much instrumentation and that allows her more room to utilise her vocal capabilities with a multi-tracked harmony that is perfectly on point.
The musicianship is very Beatles-like too and the recording might have been made just across the road from that Zebra Crossing.
Harrison’s guitar solo, one of his best and with his signature tone resonant, is played down a little but it has no adverse effect whatsoever while I reckon that might be Ringo on the drums.
Intriguingly, she doesn’t change the sex of the song’s subject although I suppose Pattie Boyd would have been attractive to anyone.
Flora is up against some tough competition in the cover stakes, it having been recorded and/or sung live by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, James Brown, Smokey Robinson and Shirley Bassey.
But if it had been released in 1969 we might even be speculating over The Beatles’ cover of it. I can’t give it a better endorsement.
Flora Smith + Emil Rydne are playing a gig on 1st March at Twang in Stockholm.
Find her on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flora.smith.37625
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florassmith/
Photograph: Irma Raud.
