Peep This: Aoife O’ Donovan Covers “Nebraska” (Springsteen)

We have all likely heard songs covered off Springsteen’s pivotal, sparse and beautiful album that was recorded on a 4 track Portastudio. A lot of times you get a swing and a miss on capturing that delicate and hollow gorgeousness.

In hearing Aoife O’ Donovan‘s take on the title track off of such an important record to so many, a new life is breathed into those emotions, that I imagine so many others, share with me when I hear those songs. The track is to be featured on In The Magic Hour Solo Sessions, a six-song acoustic EP including four songs from her previous release, In The Magic Hour, and a bone-chilling cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Turn Me On, I’m A Radio,” out November 1.

She reminisced about initially fleshing out this tune. “In 2011, I did a residency at Rockwood Music Hall in NYC”, says Aoife. “Each week was a different set, and while planning for the month, I decided to learn the album “Nebraska” from start to finish. Originally released in 1982, the year I was born, the songs are timeless. The sadness and depravity in the title track urge us to look a little bit deeper into ourselves.”

You don’t need to paint any intricate guilding on or adorn Aoife’s voice with anything but dripping a tiny bit of reverb on the vocal track. Her voice stands on its own like very few others in the current music landscape and the take on this classic is pure, full body chill inducing magic. The echo of longing and sadness, you can’t help but weep and smile at the same time listening to a beautiful tribute from one pillar of songwriting and roots royalty to another.

Check it out below and catch her on tour solo in the earlier part of next year. She has just announced a short run in the beginning of Spring with a string quartet.