The Cover Up: Loveable Rogues ~ Wake Me Up (Avicii Cover)

Some of the year's biggest songs have come alive for me through other pop acts interpretations of these pervasive ditties - whether it be Scarlett St covering Blurred Lines, FutureKicks rocking out to Get Lucky, The Vamps totally amping up Walks Like Rihanna or Velvet Stream's rather stunning take on Bang Bang, they've all given an alternate perspective on 2013's biggest sellers. Now you can officially add Loveable Rogues to that list, with their impromptu rendition of the current number one, Wake Me Up - by Avicii. It's no secret I'm a bit charmed by those Loveable Rogue chappies. Their What A Night single rocketed into the top ten earlier this year and while I impatiently await the follow up, this will do as an interim measure quite nicely. Loveable Rogues are the effortlessly likeable trio of Eddie, Sonny and Te, who bring breezy chat-like vocals to their quirky, witty brand of pop - each song (whether their own composition or their take on someone elses) making you feel like you down the pub with your mates. You no doubt already know Wake Me Up as more guitar infused dance anthem (like Mumford & Sons on speed), proliferating the airwaves like a fresh breeze as Britain experiences it's most intense heatwave in 7 years. The acoustic version delivered by those Loveable Rogues has the duelling guitars strumming to keep a percolating pace (after the gloriously slower tempo of the intro), but it's their individual & combined vocal contributions to the song that make it such a giddy winner. Te gives a deliciously resonant vocal that is rich with passion and personality, ensuring that this is very Loveable Rogues with a bit of Avicii thrown in (rather than the other way around) - and when the boys all join together, there's a real tinge of wistful reflection in their harmonies that gives the track a sense of background and history that brings the lyrical story to life. The whole performance is imbued with an infectious vibrant nature and a gleeful enthusiasm for the love of what they do. And therein lies a large part of the charm of the boys - even with melancholy songs, you feel like you are part of some joyous celebration of life whatever it throws at you. PS kudos on the lovely piano bits in the middle 8. Marvelous.

(PPS, if they don't release Lovesick soon, I will be fuming :D)