Imogen Heap: “Hallelujah”
So I finally saw the season finale of The OC this morning, which I had missed when it aired a week and a half ago because my roommate’s TV in my apartment works almost as well as the internet does (read: not at all). Plot-wise, nothing happened that I didn’t expect; not to say I’m prescient or all-knowing, but considering how we’ve been trained to hate Marissa for the entire season it’s not exactly a surprise that she was the one killed off. However, it was this climactic scene that debuted, for the second OC season finale in a row, a brand new Imogen Heap song.
Last year audiences were floored by Heap’s incredible “Hide and Seek”; this year we got Heap’s previously-unheard cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”. Like “Hide and Seek”, “Hallelujah” features an equally-sparse arrangement and uses Heap’ stunning voice as the sole vehicle with which to tug at (or in this case, to obliterate) your heartstrings. It’s rare that an artist can create a powerful peace of music without the use of any actual instrumentation, but Heap has done it before with “Hide and Seek” and proves here that she can do it again. I can’t say it comes anywhere close to topping Leonard Cohen’s original, or the Jeff Buckley version that made it famous, but it was a great treat regardless. Download the three aforementioned versions below, along with a great live version by Damien Rice, which begins as “Cannonball” and smoothly transitions into “Hallelujah”. Also, definitely head over to My Old Kentucky Blog, where Dodge has compiled a huge list of “Hallelujah” covers, featuring even more versions of the classic, including interpretations by Dylan, Bono, and Rufus Wainwright, as well as pretty much every singer-songwriter ever. Hallelujah:
MP3s:
“Hallelujah” - Imogen Heap
“Hallelujah” - Leonard Cohen [highly recommended]
“Hallelujah” - Jeff Buckley [highly recommended]
“Cannonball/Hallelujah” - Damien Rice
Speaking of Imogen Heap and The OC, the season finale also prominently featured another new Heap track during the stirring graduation scene, “Speeding Cars”, which I already featured here nearly two months ago, but am reposting due to its renewed relevance. However, when I posted that track, I received a ton of requests in the comments and via email to post another Imogen Heap b-side, “Cumulus”, so here that is as well. “Cumulus” is a swirling, swelling, string-laden instrumental track, as epic and beautiful as “Hide and Seek” was before it. I prefer “Speeding Cars”, which I think is even better than the A-side it supports (”Goodnight and Go”), but both tracks are worth the download regardless.
MP3s:
“Speeding Cars” - Imogen Heap
“Cumulus” - Imogen Heap
I’m home for Memorial Day weekend, so I’ll be posting as much as possible to make up for my lack of posts during the week, so keep an eye out for my review of the AiH show and an artist profile containing my new favorite song, as well as, you know, other good stuff. It’s a nice-ass day. Peace.