The preternatural songwriting of Bridie Monds-Watson, aka Soak, turned heads and racked up accolades at such an astonishing rate that she ended up as one of the youngest artists to ever be nominated for Mercury Prize. Then 18, her debut album Before We Forgot How To Dream is equal parts homespun and haunting, placing her sometimes staccato, sometimes birdsong voice front and center. Four years later, she’s releasing her sophomore album, Grim Town, which will be out next week and is absolutely worth your time.
During her round of media interviews promoting the album, Soak stopped by BBC’s Radio 1, a station that frequently asks artists to bring in covers and other surprises/interesting tidbits. After talking with the host for a bit about the power of one of last year’s best songs, “Love It If We Made It” by The 1975, Soak reveals she’s going to cover the record, though it should be noted that her version takes liberties with the song’s profanities, removing them and softening some of the language.
That’s where the magic really begins, around 1:25 here, if you’d like to listen, as Monds-Watson’s vulnerable, acoustic version of the blistering, powerhouse pop track reveals the bleeding heart of the song in a way that was previously unclear. Listen to it over at BBC and if you like what you hear, make sure to look for Soak’s sophomore album Grim Town next week.
