I seem to be in a groove lately with little-known artists covering Springsteen deep cuts, so let’s keep it going:
Today’s entry comes from Canadian folk singer Scott Jacobs, whose lovely acoustic guitar-and-pedal-steel arrangement of “Dry Lightning” beautifully captures Bruce’s tale of a disintegrating love affair.
“Dry Lightning” is a tough song to cover–Bruce’s deceptively gentle melody serves as counterpoint to the increasingly jaded lyrics. Deliver a vocal performance that’s too subtle, and the song sails by without ever registering its bite. Go too far, and the song loses the tenderness that gives the song its resonance.
Jacobs finds the right balance.
(But as a fellow Pacific Northwesterner, I can’t help but smile at Jacob’s choice of backdrop for his video: the seawall of his native Vancouver, B.C. on a gloriously and typically gray day. It’s tough to imagine dry lightning anywhere remotely around these parts.)
