Experiments in Living --

* a defeat for a generation lost in a world with no taste

Manic Street Preachers: Umbrella

“ Its such an un pop word, umbrella… ”

The idea of taking something so ordinary and mundane and transforming it into an exotic sounding metaphor is quite a feat; but it’s also one that hasn’t gone unnoticed by other bands. We’ve already seen covers from the likes of Vanilla Sky, Biffy Clyro and of course the Klaxons. So what is it that makes this version different from the rest?

When most ‘serious’ bands cover pop songs they end up ruining the song because they insist on taking their most irritating traits (being male and boring) and superimposing it onto what was originally a quite fun piece.*

The Manics – don’t fall into this trap, the production is explicitly POP, and James doesn’t hold back at all, just listen to the chorus and the way he sings the phrase ‘ ella, eey eyy ’ !

If you’re still offended at the idea of the Manics covering a pop song then remember the following: The Manics are supposed to be a controversial band. Think about it, why wouldn’t the Manics want to record a cover which is guaranteed to polarize their fanbase and make a predominantly male centric, guitar biased, indie snob 'alternative' fan base re examine their opinions?

Plus, you know – it helps drag in new fans which is always a good thing.

Jess Hall / Sheraz Qureshi

*For proof download travis’s cover of hit me baby one more time