I immediately liked the song “The Killing Moon,” when I first heard it several years ago while watching the movie Donnie Darko. The song, by Echo & the Bunnymen, was released in 1984 and sounds like it. The melancholy vocals, catchy guitar riffs, and synth pads that characterize Echo & the Bunnymen perfectly embody the spirit of the post-punk movement from which they came. The band is very similar to acts like The Smiths or Joy Division.
On their 2006 album, Bande à Part, French cover band Nouvelle Vague takes a much different approach to the song. Nouvelle Vague typically does Bossa Nova style covers of post-punk and new wave music. They use a variety of female singers for each album, choosing vocalists who have not heard the song that they are selected to perform, so as to give each cover its own unique, fresh sound. While lyrically “The Killing Moon” remains unchanged, several other factors give each version of the song its own distinct tone.
Echo & the Bunnymen’s version largely makes use of deep bass lines, a drum machine and moody, crooning, British vocals. It relies heavily on instrumentation. While there really aren’t that many instruments being used, the way in which they are layered makes the timbre seem more complex. It also sounds very produced – it is electric and unnatural. The drumbeat and baseline give the song rhythm and keep it moving at a fast pace. The overall effect is very dark and tense. The singer seems to be pleading desperately with fate over death’s untimely visitation.
Fate up against your will
Through the thick and thin
He will wait until
You give yourself to him
Through the thick and thin
He will wait until
You give yourself to him
The lyrics, the above section in particular, make it sound as though death is coming and there is nothing you can do to stop it. The singer is clearly apprehensive and not happy with the hand that fate has dealt him, and wants to run from it.
If Echo & the Bunnymen’s version is running, Nouvelle Vague’s cover of the song is ambling. This cover of “The Killing Moon” is much lighter. It consists mainly of breathy female vocals, an easy guitar strum, and some ambient sounds and chimes sprinkled throughout. It is much simpler and more natural sounding. It evokes the feeling of a warm summer night. While I wouldn’t call it happy, it certainly sounds less dire than the Bunnymen. The lighter instrumentation causes the lyrics to sound more pensive or thoughtful than frightened. Without the drums to keep the song moving along, the vocalist seems to wander through it at her own meandering pace. It is very mellow and relaxed, where as Echo & the Bunnymen’s version is more intense and dark.
Because each version is so different, my preference for one over the other depends a lot on my mood. However, as much as I enjoy listening to Nouvelle Vague, I would probably pick the original as my favorite. The instrumentation and tone better fit the lyrics, and I find it an overall more enjoyable listen,
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