Let’s continue our spotlight series on covers of lesser-known Springsteen songs by turning our attention to Human Touch as we celebrate its 30th anniversary this week.
Human Touch is full of overlooked gems, largely (I would argue) because its heavy-handed production tends to overpower the songs themselves. And on an album of deep cuts, “Soul Driver” is one of the deepest.
That didn’t stop Italian roots/rock band Lowlands from covering it, though. Early in their decade-long career, they contributed a terrific version of it for the Italian tribute album For You 2.
Lowlands’s version of “Soul Driver” is considerably moodier and broodier than Bruce’s eccentric original, thanks to a folk-tinged arrangement that lends the song a timeless feel. (The original is one of the most dated-sounding songs in Bruce’s catalog.)
The band’s performance builds in power towards the song’s climax, with Chris Cacavas’ gravelly vocals more than up to the challenge of matching Bruce’s passionate delivery on the album track.
The For You albums are great cover collections that fly under-the-radar of most American fans; if you can find them, they’re well worth picking up.
