Coheed and Cambria frontman Claudio Sanchez has shared a cover of The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” as part of his monthly YouTube “Claudio Covers” series.
With the recent release of The Cure’s highly anticipated comeback album, Songs of a Lost World, the Coheed frontman celebrated the occasion by covering one of the band’s classic songs.
As Claudio tells it, he was actually introduced to the track via the brilliant cover version by Dinosaur Jr.
“This song was introduced to me by some friends as a cover done by Dinosaur Jr,” Sanchez said (via the YouTube description). “They were skaters, so the reference to ‘tricks’ at the top of the song conjured up ideas of a smitten lover’s curiosity for executing kick-flips and rail slides.”
He continued, “At the time, I didn’t know much of The Cure’s discography outside of ‘Boy’s Don’t Cry,’ ‘Disintegration,’ and ‘Wish.’ The albums that glued those classics together were a mystery to me. The discovery of The Head on the Door led me to Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me and the introduction to the original ‘Just Like Heaven.’”
Sanchez concluded, “It’s a strange but powerful relationship to have with a song when your introduction is someone else’s interpretation of it. I think that’s why I chose ‘Just Like Heaven’ for this month’s cover.”
Claudio’s take on the tune is inventive and sincere, showcasing his home recording skills and impressive vocal abilities.
A pattering old-school drum machine keeps the metronome-like beat as he plays the song’s central melody on an acoustic guitar. Aside from lush artificial strings that peak in and out, the instrumentation is quite minimal, leaving plenty of breathing room for the vocals — undoubtedly the highlight here. Sanchez sounds fantastic, his high tenor perfect for Robert Smith’s demanding part.
In other Coheed-related news, the prog vets recently unveiled an excellent one-off single, “Blide Side Sonny,” a tease of the group’s next full-length effort. The band also announced the return of its S.S. Neverender festival cruise, which sets sail from Miami next November aboard the Norwegian Jewel.
Watch Claudio Sanchez cover The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” below.