Edie Yvonne – No Rain (2023)
With her soulful eyes and charming smile, singer-songwriter Edie Yvonne seems another happy, healthy 15-year-old. Yet, despite the wide-eyed innocence cheekily displayed in her youthful expression, Edie Yvonne is no fool to life. Over the past year, she has shared a few insights into the intricacies of reality; not just as a teenager in LA, but as a resonating exploration of raw human emotions. With ‘Queen Bee’, she found the theme song for mean girls, and in ‘Darkness Bliss’ she displayed the weary worldliness of broken hearts. The latest addition to her discography is the single ‘No Rain’.
When we left Edie Yvonne, she serenaded us in her pop single ‘Girl Code’. A song strewn with the bittersweet challenge of new opportunities – a meeting of “what if this doesn’t work” and “well, what if it does”, there is a hopefulness in the song. I wouldn’t say Yvonne re-emerges from her bouncy cocoon of bliss to a vulnerable teenage pop song in ‘No Rain’. No, instead she tackles the moodier, broodier, intimate intensity of loneliness and depression.
Ending 2023 with a cover of Blind Melon’s iconic ‘No Rain’, Yvonne slips back in time to the 1970s rock era; however, she also inserts a modern-day flair to the track. Produced with Douglas Boehm, the clever push-and-pull of genres veils the original’s folk-rock tone with a nostalgic psychedelic wistfulness but also a trip to contemporary folk-pop. Floating on a bed of psychedelic-inspired synths, Yvonne’s rich vocals are whimsical taking you on a journey through a realm of despair and pain.
While Yvonne has a penchant for warm vocals that both chill and inspire, there is a whimsical sensation in her execution. For me, this is exactly what such an iconic song about depression needs – a sense of extreme vulnerability and fragility but with a twinkling hopefulness lurking in the dulcet voice. Similar to Shannon Hoon’s hushed tones veiling inner turmoil and seeking acceptance, Edie Yvonne reaches the core of the original concept.
All in all, as her first cover, Yvonne hits the nail with her version of ‘No Rain’. Unlike some artists who add a completely new slant to cover versions, she retains the simplicity and intimacy of the original without much alteration to Blind Melon. For some who enjoy hearing diversity in covers, that might be a disappointment; however, considering the intensity of the song’s theme, there is no need to make a change. No match for Shannon Hoon’s tormented tones, this is a tribute and not a twist of ‘No Rain’. A brilliant tribute at that.
For more from Edie Yvonne, check out her official website, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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