Wolf Alice – “Hammond Song” (The Roches Cover Feat. Sunflower Bean‘s Julia Cumming & Bria Salmena)

When Wolf Alice announced The Clearing (B Sides), a companion/expanded edition of last year's The Clearing, my eyes shot immediately to the cover of the Roches' immortal "Hammond Song" they recorded with Bria Salmena and Sunflower Bean's Julia Cumming. That recording is out today.Produced by Robert Fripp, the original 1979 recording of "Hammond Song" is a marvel of vocal interplay, a richly emotive folk ballad that allowed the Roche sisters to shine brightly by amplifying each other's talents. It's one of those songs I wish I could discover for the first time all over again. That's a high bar, and I don't expect any cover versions to clear it. Yet Ellie Rowsell and friends have done well with the material. It doesn't sound quite so supernatural in their hands, but the tender beauty remains. With all due respect, I'd rate it quite a bit higher than Whitney's cover, and I thought Whitney's cover was nice.Listen below.The Clearing (B Sides) is out 8/21 on RCA. Pre-order it here.