- Local
- Community
- Journalism
Support the independent voice of Phoenix and help keep the future of New Times free.
The band goes it acoustic, and the results aren't a total wreck. They swap out the ripping guitar solo (easily the most rocking segment of the original tune) in favor of a nice harmonica bit courtesy of singer Brian Dales. The arrangement isn't anything crazy, just standard electric bass, some guitars, and a percussion box(?), with the band playing the song in a no-nonsense, straightforward fashion.
"We're all closet country addicts," guitarist John Gomez jokes in the video.
Dales' voice is the song's weak link. I didn't expect his nasally croon to match Shelton's throaty, "American Everyman" one, but the song just isn't suited for Dales' vocals, not to mention how awkward he sounds singing the lyrics "I'll be your Conway Twitty." The 2:59 mark is particularly brutal, though the band jokes about attempting three part harmonies in the post performance video.
The band fares better on their own tune, "Someone Like You," with a distinct lack of aggression that proves the band's perfectly at home cranking out contemporary pop. Maybe I'm just a weirdo -- but I think the band would have been far more at home covering that Counting Crows jam, but what say do I have? I didn't vote.
Keep Phoenix New Times Free... Since we started Phoenix New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix, and we would like to keep it that way. Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" membership program, allowing us to keep covering Phoenix with no paywalls.