As any regular peruser of our pages will be aware, we rarely feature cover songs, and so you should know that when we do, it’s because it’s something special. This is of course the case with Anana Kaye’s cover of Leonard Cohen’s original single ‘There Is A War’. Reinventing a song from one of songwriting’s true greats is no easy feat and yet Kaye approaches this task with an unmatched self-assuredness. She transforms, as though molding from raw clay, the acoustic warmth and soulful sway of Cohen into something more pressing, darker and minimalist.
We’re struck by the raw immediacy of Kaye‘s performance as speaker-rumbling bass and predatory percussion is led in by her hushed yet domineering vocals. With a subtle-yet-effective rumbling production, this cover is steeped in post-industrialist modernism that’s a reminder that Cohen’s lyrics are as timeless as ever.
In this current climate where division is actively being stoked by our governmental bodies and war is pushing our understanding of humanity to its brink, ‘There Is A War’ is an incredibly relevant statement. Kaye‘s choice to make this distorted, shadowy and determined version has put forth a slow-burning transmission from the sidelines, giving voice to the unease, the injustice and the desperate need for change. While the original and the remake might be starkly different, where they meet is in the heavy sense of gravity.
Before we leave you to listen, here’s a note from Anana Kaye: “Leonard Cohen’s songs, like all great songs, invite reinterpretation. I’ve heard several versions of ‘There Is a War’ recorded and performed by Cohen himself, but there never seemed to be a single definitive take, the way there often is with the Beatles, for example. What drew me in were the lyrics, the groove, and the urgency. I began at the piano, then gradually we added layers of rhythm, building tension and opening up room for musical experimentation in the studio with Charlie Chamberlain at the helm. Chris Benelli overdubbed acoustic drums and percussion, and David Conrad’s upright bass felt like casting against type—but it worked, introducing a jazz element into the industrial pulse. The screaming guitars and sonic treatments by Irakli Gabriel and Charlie echo and punctuate the intensity of the lyrics, which feel more timely than ever.”
You can listen to this cover of ‘There Is A War’ in our Outsiders Club playlist.
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