Rachel Bobbitt Shares Reverent Cover of Heatmiser's "Half Right"

The Toronto-via-Nova Scotia artist takes on Elliott Smith

Photo: Paige Paton

BY Megan LaPierrePublished Mar 29, 2022

Nova Scotia-born, Toronto-based singer-songwriter Rachel Bobbitt has shared a striking rendition of Heatmiser's "Half Right."

The track was originally released in 1996, written by Elliott Smith and Neil Gust for the Portland-formed band's third and final album Mic City Sons. Smith included a solo version of "Half Right" on his 2007 compilation New Moon.

"The song is masterful in its simplicity. It paints the universal feeling of heartbreak in such a devastatingly pointed way," Bobbitt said in a release. "The lyrics deliver gut punches while the instrumentation marches on, steady and constant. One of those few truly 'perfect' songs."

Likewise, the singer-songwriter plays "Half Right" pretty true to the original, not wanting to mess with the perfection of its minimalism — but her warm, roomy alto lilt and effortless delivery infuse it with an additional spark of tenderness.

Bobbitt produced the cover, which features her frequent collaborators Justice Der, Stephen Bennett and Isaac Teague. She and Der — a guitarist and producer — previously released the collaborative LP When This Plane Goes Down in 2019. Bobbitt released her debut solo EP And It Was the Same in 2020.

Watch the live in-studio performance below.

 

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