I wanted to see the world through your eyes until it happened

October 9, 2020 12:39 PM

Indie folk rocker Phoebe Bridgers (previously) and pop pianist Arlo Parks come together in a beautiful collaboration, performing Radiohead's "Fake Plastic Trees" and Bridgers' own "Kyoto."

More Bridgers:
Garden Song
Kyoto (making of)
Scott Street
I Know the End

More Parks:
Black Dog
Creep
Hurt
Eugene

posted by Lonnrot (10 comments total)

Really lovely.
posted by Gadarene at 2:14 PM on October 9, 2020

I just really fucking love Phoebe Bridgers.
posted by Lutoslawski at 2:31 PM on October 9, 2020 [5 favorites]

This is great, they're both phenomenal and Radiohead songs are really great songs, not just good recordings or performances.
There was an article a few years back, about how the Beatles begat thousands of good covers because their songs are so good on their own, whereas Led Zeppelin, for example, were great musicians/performers, but the songs themselves aren't as amazing as songs.
I feel Radiohead falls on the Beatles side of this continuum.
posted by signal at 3:30 PM on October 9, 2020 [7 favorites]

This cover by P.B of Emmylou Harris' Prayer in Open D is in my top 3 covers of songs that mention a musical fact in their titles.
posted by signal at 3:39 PM on October 9, 2020

Even if it hadn't already been such a long week (month... year... ) that cover would have caught me right between the eyes. An absolute stunner, delicately and powerfully delivered. Off to listen to more!
posted by merriment at 3:56 PM on October 9, 2020

Oh wow I love Bridgers’ voice.
posted by Songdog at 5:46 PM on October 9, 2020

The “Fake Plastic Trees” version made me weep. Fuck this year. It just never ends. Thank the gods for the artists who make us weep.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 5:57 PM on October 9, 2020 [1 favorite]

I just rewatched the Fake Plastic Trees cover, and I figured out part of why I like it so much: Bridgers has a tremendous voice, more than enough for this song, and even in the "hard" parts, she's nowhere near her limit, so she can sing them with grace and expression and absolute control, and the tiny parts where she opens up and lets her voice really come out are much more impressive because of the restraint in the other parts. It's the opposite of somebody like Christina Aguilera, who also has a huge voice, but is always showing off, with glissandos, octaves, etc.
posted by signal at 6:51 PM on October 9, 2020 [3 favorites]

Phoebe Bridgers's voice is astonishing. For me, in this song, though, it's the moments when Arlo Parks sings the harmonies that make the hairs stand up on my arms
posted by MinPin at 9:20 AM on October 10, 2020 [1 favorite]

So beautiful, thank you.
posted by jdl at 7:01 PM on October 10, 2020