Kisses “Johnny and Mary (Robert Palmer Cover)”
Hearing “Addicted To Love” or “Simply Irresistible” every blue moon is something that will always be appreciated, the two records (and their respective videos) being symbolic of the best in ’80′s pop and all, but an even bigger treat is the rare occurrence when something from Robert Palmer (in our opinion, one of the baddest white soul singers ever) that has nothing to do with those two MTV pop star-establishing records (nor his equally beloved by ’80′s-centered “oldies” radio/ Power Station-fronting “Some Like It Hot”) gets some sort of nod.
Enter L.A.-based electro pop duo Kisses with a thankful reminder of there being more great material from Palmer’s lengthy career to reference beyond the usual with their cover of his 1980 Clues single “Johnny and Mary”.
A brilliantly crafted gem in it’s original form, “Johnny and Mary” offered an intriguing glimpse into the self-esteem issues, paranoia, exasperation and utter boredom underlining a romance well past the puppy love stage, Robert’s coldly detached vocal and the record’s melancholic guitar melodies and mechanized synth-pop strut effectively supporting the script in their illustration of the greyness that arises in a relationship that’s seemingly lost all traces of its initial spark.
In their delicious updating, Kisses further deepens “J&M”‘s striking snapshot of couple-dom ennui with a downbeat disco shimmer that neatly grasps the less-than-ideal “happily ever after” mood of the titular union, and a lead croon by singer Jesse Kivel that applies the perfect shade of wispy sadness to the song’s vivid lyrical details.
“Johnny and Mary (Robert Palmer Cover)” (DL):
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