Warpaint / Sister Crayon - Bowie Tribute Split

Take two up and coming female fronted bands, two classic David Bowie songs, throw them together and this slice of magic is the result. Lifted from the recently released, fully endorsed Bowie tribute album, ‘We Were So Turned On’, this split showcases the raw talents of both bands, without putting precedent on either.

The bands’ approaches may be different, but the results are equally heartfelt and wrenching. Warpaint opt for a fairly straightforward affair; sultry female vocals and a slightly different ending to the song being the only true steps away from the source material. Sister Crayon on the other hand serve up a version of ‘The Bewlay Brothers’ that merely uses the original as a stepping stone from which to leap off. Gone is the acoustic guitar, replaced instead by layers of synths, adding a sparse dynamic to the song that manages to encapsulate the contemplative nature of not just the original song but of Bowie in general; no mean feat for an emerging band.

Whilst it may all be a clever marketing technique by the label; getting up and coming bands to cover big and well known songs and releasing it as the single to promote the album, this is by no means a half hearted attempt at exposure. It is after all for the charity War Child and something that means a lot to more than just the bands and the label. Hopefully of the back of this release both Warpaint and Sister Crayon will manage to gain the buzz they both deserve. So for all those Bowie fans, and even those just curious, check it out, you won’t regret it.