Quickening

I couldn’t conjure up the interest to listen to M.I.A.’s last album. Why didn’t anyone tell me that she does a cover of Spectral Display’s “It Takes a Muscle to Fall in Love”? Over the years, I’ve come to realize that M.I.A.’s essential, most enjoyable instinct in terms of music is to cover. An ability that, for me, will be undervalued until she goes all Annie and does a Medusa. (Really hope I’m not waiting until she reaches her 40s.)

The original track has three elements that I quite enjoy: synths, ESL, senti-yet-pragmatic lyrics. M.I.A. adds the fourth: lady drone. That monotone, distorted voice is so damn sweet. Here’s the original — bask in its epic glory: