10 Rock Cover Songs Better Than The Original
4. JUNIP : The Ghost Of Tom Joad (Bruce Springsteen)
For those who are not familiar with JUNIP all you need to know is that they're José González on/off group. Before González became the internationally recognised face of melodic folk rock, he was in a group named JUNIP. Throughout his solo career he's picked the project up at serval points, each time harbouring some truly atmospheric result.
JUNIP basically involves González doing his usual breathy and pleasant take on world rock, but he's augmented by a bunch of swirling synthesiser and a drummer. It just adds a little oomph to an otherwise laidback sound.
The group's 2005 EP 'Black Refuge' contained a reserved but evocative rendition of Springsteen's 1995 folk ballad, inspired by a character from the novel 'Grapes of Wrath'. Again, the original version is flawless. Some of Springsteen's best numbers are when he exhibits a more reserved and tender side, and this song is certainly that. He delivers the lyrics in such a whispered manor that you almost have to strain to hear them.
The JUNIP version just turns everything up a notch, taking it from a soft-folk-ballad to a dreamy-world-rock number.