By Charlie Maybee
English songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, Coyle Girelli, is gearing up for the releasee of Stripped: a 7-song collection of acoustic renditions of previously recorded songs as well as a couple covers which are newly released.
In talking about the inspiration behind this new collection, Girelli stated, “In addition to these stripped versions of my songs from Funland and Love Kills, I also wanted to throw a little something else in there and decided to record one of my all-time favorite songs, ‘Famous Blue Raincoat,’ by one of my all-time favorite artists, the late great Leonard Cohen. I subtly pulled on the melody and the words to add accents to areas of the song that maybe hadn’t been accented in previous versions. I adore singing it: ‘Thanks for the trouble you took from her eyes. I thought it was there for good, so I never tried,’ is one of my all-time favorite lines”.
Girelli manages a thoughtful cover that retains all the signature brooding, melancholy storytelling that Cohen has become known for. The baritone lead vocal is joined by a light octave harmony that echoes through the inherent darkness that the song is steeped in. As the gentle guitar holds down the rhythm, there is plenty of space for big, emotive lamenting that withholds its grief deep in the chest.
Taking a more positive outlook while still holding onto a pensive feel, Girelli also tackles “Fireworks” by First Aid Kit. With a similar restrained and yearning wail as the iconic Thom Yorke, he takes both of these new covers under his wing and feels it in the depths of his heart and soul. You can feel the personal impact and connection that he feels with these tracks through these heartfelt tributes. A thoughtful and exciting teaser for what is to come on the remainder of the album.
Girelli’s covers of “Famous Blue Raincoat” and “Fireworks” are both available on major streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. The full collection, Stripped, will also be available to stream on Friday, July 22, 2022. Find this and more great music on the Alchemical Records Multigenre Mixture playlist on Spotify.
Charlie Maybee is a dancer, musician, educator, and writer based in Charleston, South Carolina who currently teaches with the Dance Program at the College of Charleston. His primary work as an artist is with his performing collective, Polymath Performance Project, through which he makes interdisciplinary performance art that centers tap dance as the primary medium of expression and research. He also currently plays rhythm guitar for the Charleston-based punk band, Anergy, and releases music as a solo artist under the name Nox Eterna.
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