Not gonna lie, I listened to this song about three or four times before I realized it was a cover.
I could recognize some of the lyrics and especially the line “like I’m ready for a funer-al” the way Frank turns that one word into two really hanging on the second syllable of the word is so distinct I knew that I’d heard it somewhere before.
This is one of those covers that actually does justice to the original version, Switchfoot took what Frank wrote originally and made it better! Maybe it’s just my style, but the Switchfoot version feels more full to me. A little raw but still wholesome, where as Frank’s version comes off a little scratchy and robotic sounding, not as powerful. I mean, the drums sound amazing, I love it. The bass is full and fat, and the vocals really reach out and grab you, I was singing along instantly. This reminds me of when Johnny Cash covered Nine Inch Nails or when Shinedown did such a great cover of “simple man”. I love when an artist can take another one’s work, put it in a different light, and re-create something totally awesome!
Switchfoot “Swim Good”
