Jeff Tweedy covers Alvvays’ ‘Pharmacist’
Two weeks ago, Canadian indie pop giants Alvvays released their long-awaited third studio album, Blue Rev. The first taste that fans got of the record was ‘Pharmacist’, the album’s first single that marked the return of the band after nearly half a decade away.
Now, as is his wont, Jeff Tweedy has gotten in on the cover game by giving ‘Pharmacist’ his own twist. Tweedy isn’t exactly afraid of a cover, as we’ve seen through his previous covers of everything from Angel Olsen’s ‘Big Time’ to the Sharon Van Etten/Angel Olsen duet ‘Like I Used To’ and even the theme song to Ted Lasso.
“I learned this short and sweet beauty a little while ago, when it was released as a preview track for Alvvays’s new LP, Blue Rev,” Tweedy wrote. “I love the unexpected C demolished chord in the chorus. If I understand these lyrics correctly, I think that chord (Cdim actually) makes the phrase “I hear it happens all the time” even more withering and full of delicious, pitying scorn. A diminished chord employed to diminish. Love it!”
When the album was first announced, we said, “‘Pharmacist’ takes Alvvays’ signature guitar rock and brings it down a prominent shoegaze path. Pedals, effects, and psychedelic swirls were never foreign to Alvvays, with tracks like ‘Red Planet’ and ‘Forget About Life’ floating off to strange and spacey alternate worlds, but ‘Pharmacist’ packs in a whole host of sounds in just two minutes, including Molly Rankin’s dreamy vocals, key changes, and lo-fi breakdowns.”
Tweedy picked up on that key change in the chorus, one of the few mainstream rock songs to include a diminished chord. Some other songs that include diminished chords include Elton John’s ‘Bennie and the Jets’ and The Beatles’ ‘Because’, but needless to say, they tend to be few and far between in most songs.
Check out Tweedy’s cover of ‘Pharmacist’ at the link over here.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out New Music Newsletter
All the latest New Music from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.