We previously featured SAER for his single, Sorry, so when we heard that the star had returned with a cover of Johnny Cash‘s iconic song Walk The Line, we couldn’t wait to experience it and share our feedback!

Drawing us in with an evocative piano soundscape and rising drone texture with a luscious strings arrangement, SAER opens Walk The Line with a dramatic, astral vocal and a stunning, charismatic performance of the opening lyrics, “I keep a close watch on this heart of mine, I keep my eyes wide open all the time, I keep the ends out for the tie that binds, because you’re mine, I walk the line…”

We appreciate the emotional depth of SAER‘s performance, as well as sonic reinterpretation of the opus which differs both in terms of tempo and atmosphere.

In this new energetic space, the lyrics retain their profound meaning as we are taken on an introspective and thought-provoking journey with SAER‘s vision. The glitches lend themselves to a sense of futurism, and the dynamic nature of the composition is tangible, taking us on an emotive and immersive trip.

We learn that this rendition actually aligns more closely with Johnny Cash‘s original vision for the song, before his label suggested a more upbeat single for release. Elaborating on this, SAER confesses, “This release is homage to Cash’s original wishes for the song before the record company changed it into what it is popularly known as and did in fact start off as a ballad.”

Complementing the release is an animated music video, masterfully crafted by SAER‘s long-time collaborator and director, Paul Griffin. Using 1920s noir-style cartoons, the video follows a black cat with piercing white eyes as they navigate their way through the shadowy alleys of a city.

We have added SAER‘s captivating cover of Walk The Line to our New Music Spotlight playlist, whilst we continue to stream his wider discography, and anticipate future releases!

The post SAER shares captivating cover of Johnny Cash’s Walk The Line appeared first on KIMU.