Zeep “Ghost Town (The Specials Cover)”
Few will balk if you happen to surprise them with a random spinning of The Specials’ spook n’ ska classic “Ghost Town”, but try pre-warning the same crowd with an announcement that you’re going to play a cover of the song that’s completely sung in Portuguese and draped in a Brazilian folk sound, and the reaction might not be as immediately positive (Odds are, you’ll be met with a couple seconds of confused stares and uncomfortable silence).
Still, if only for curiosity’s sake, we’d recommend you give this remake, handled by London male/ female duo Zeep (formerly known as the “Underwater Love”-producing Smoke City) a listen: Yeah, vocalist Nina Miranda’s breathless purrs are seducing, temporarily fooling you into believing she’s trying to romance a boy toy rather than sing of her neighborhood’s ills, but it’s the jaw-dropping way they recreate the original’s familiar musical elements in a breathtakingly dreamy Tropicália context that’ll truly woo you in.
One of many great world music-inspired treasures to be found on their stellar new album, People & Things.
DL: “Ghost Town (The Specials Cover)” (alt)
