It’s impossible to forget Shania Twain’s video for “You’re Still the One,” where she strolls down the beach in a hazy blue light under a full moon (don’t confuse it with “Forever and for Always” — that’s a different beach vibe). The song is one of the many, many singles from 1997’s Come On Over, her biggest album that now hits millennials with pangs of nostalgia. Case in point: Christian Lee Hutson just dropped a cover of “You’re Still the One” with Julia Jacklin, and it’s excellent.
The track is off the third volume of Hutson’s The Version Suicides. Despite the fact that he recently covered Taylor Swift’s “Betty,” most of his renditions are significantly older — there’s his take on Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m Going Down,” the Cure’s “Just Like Heaven,” and ABBA’s “Dancing Queen.” And then there’s gems that hit the nostalgic sweet spot, like Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles” and the La’s “There She Goes.” Make no mistakes: “You’re Still the One” falls into the latter category.Hutson’s take on the Twain ballad stays close to the original, opening with silky acoustic chords as his understated vocals enter: “Looks like we made it/Look how far we’ve come, my baby.” Jacklin supplies backing vocals, taking the reins on the second verse. Her velvety, heart-wrenching voice is such a perfect match for the track that it could have easily been a b-side to her album Crushing. It’s the kind of beauty that can only occur when two indie musicians collaborate, with layers of emotion crashing down like the very waves Shania gazes at.
Just this week, Jacklin pushed her Australian tour to 2022 due to the ongoing pandemic, but with a silver lining: she’s working on new music. “I’m going to just make a new record and play for you next year when I understand/remember who I am etc., and when I hopefully don’t have to worry about anyone dying from hearing me sing,” she wrote. In the meantime, we can enjoy this gem.
Find a playlist of all of our recent Songs You Need to Know selections on Spotify.
From Rolling Stone US
