By Alex HudsonWith Leonard Cohen's Old Ideas available now through Columbia Records, his label has curated a new covers project that finds some contemporary songwriters covering their Cohen favourites. As previously reported, the series is called Old Ideas with New Friends, and we're now able to share its latest instalment in the form of "Bird on a Wire" by Nicole Atkins.
The restrained clip finds the New Jersey-born folk artist strumming her guitar and singing while accompanied by a keyboardist in a dimly lit room. The pair keep the waltzing arrangement simple, allowing Cohen's poetry to shine -- as it should.
Stream the video below, and watch other instalments in the Old Ideas with New Friends series here. Old Ideas can be purchased here, and you could also have a chance to win Cohen's complete discography in a contest over at Exclaim!'s Facebook page.
Posted by Nameless Poseur On 2012-02-14 11:09:42great performance!
Posted by Nameless Poseur On 2012-02-14 11:25:46dam that was sik
Posted by Nameless Poseur On 2012-02-14 12:02:50WOW WHAT I BEAUTIFUL VOICE AND SONG!!!
Posted by Nameless Poseur On 2012-02-14 12:49:50Wow.
Posted by Nameless Poseur On 2012-02-14 13:49:48Nicole has THE most wonderfully luscious voice, which can climb and dive with the birds with grace and power. Gorgeous :-)
Posted by NoelWavey On 2012-02-14 18:16:00great rendition!
Posted by elliot On 2012-02-14 23:56:33I'm sorry but this girl has no voice, she's forcing emotion through the end of a toothpick.
Posted by gruden On 2012-02-14 23:57:50someone explain to her that the words are already magical. vibrato does not equal feeling. you ruined the tune!!
Posted by In awe of the man On 2012-02-16 14:39:13Yep. Sorry Nicole but you're missing it somewhere. Thanks for trying though.
Posted by todd g On 2012-02-16 21:46:21if you know her work you'd know that she sings with vibrato on all of her songs. thats just the way she sings. i love it.
Posted by Eva Gramnes On 2012-02-21 13:28:09wonderful voice!
Posted by Chris On 2012-02-23 13:34:34What a pale version! Please, leave it to the greatest Monsieur Cohen !
Posted by Jean Roch Girard On 2012-04-01 11:25:27Bravo Nicole.
Thank you for that.
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