![1616762528 1 [mp3] Introducing // Railcars Hounds of Love](http://f.bandcamp.com/z/16/16/1616762528-1.jpg "[mp3] Introducing // Railcars Hounds of Love")
Kate Bush sure has released some pretty music over the years. The 1985 album Hounds of Love probably contains her most well-known track, “Running Up That Hill,” and it was certified double platinum in the UK. It’s a powerful, moving album, and I’m sure a number of artists have released tributes or covers of her songs over the years.
That said, Hounds of Love by Railcars – a project of solo California musician Aria Jalalai – might be the strangest Kate Bush tribute. Upon first listen, Railcars create a crazed conglomeration of distorted vocals buried in washes of electronic sounds and rhythms. But first listens are deceiving. Repeated listens reveal a kind of chaotic beauty underneath the noise, which is fitting considering the beauty of the original songs.
“Running Up That Hill” stands out to me the most, since I’m most familiar with the original, and it contains the very recognizable keyboard line throughout. A repetitive beat gives the song grounding, while the noisy layers of vocals and instrumentation provide an almost soothing wash. The other tracks are a little more complicated to grasp. The title track keeps the distorted vocals so mixed into the instrumentation that it’s difficult to understand, but somehow the wash of noise and rhythm makes the track almost pretty, a kind of disjointed ambience. “The Big Sky” is a bit more screechy, but the somber “Mother Stands for Comfort” moves along with a quiet and soothing pace, full of electronic beats and unusual atmosphere. And the closing “Cloudbusting” is lush and somewhat beautiful.
I would classify Railcars as “pop deconstructionism” – a kind of fragmenting traditional sounds and song structures to create something new. And while it may be difficult at times, it can also be pretty. It requires far more work to delve into Railcars’ versions of the Hounds of Love tracks than it did Kate Bush’s, but a patient listener will be rewarded. I find something new to enjoy (or perhaps wince at) with each listen. And as any good tribute will do, Hounds of Love makes me want to return to the original with a fresh perspective. (The EP is available on Railcars’ Bandcamp page, name your own price.)
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Railcars // Running Up That Hill [mp3] from Hounds of Love
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