tuneage : everyone deserves good music

M. Ward - “Rave On”

With the anniversary of “The Day the Music Died” last week and Valentine’s Day tomorrow (a love song of the first degree, “Rave On” is the perfect song to send to your valentine!), I can’t think of a better song to suit the occasion than M. Ward’s cover of Buddy Holly’s “Rave On”.

If there’s anything I look for in a cover song, it’s a different spin on the song being covered, and this one delivers in spades. If you’re already familiar with Buddy Holly’s original (and you really should be), you’ll find M. Ward’s version slower, with a dreamy and simultaneously almost old-style folk feel, that suites the song better than I would have expected. “Rave On” can be found on M. Ward’s upcoming album Hold Time, being released later this month on Merge Records.