Since we first mentioned Dan Smith and his BASTILLE outfit back in December, he/they have steadily been building up a fanbase prior to their 2012 attempt at (pop) world domination. The debut single 'Flaws'/'Icarus' came out in summer and November sees the release of the 'Laura Palmer' EP. In the meantime, download BASTILLE's cover of the City High classic 'What Would You Do?' below.
It's a bit odd to think that the original track came out in 2001. Ten years ago. Yet I remembered the lyrics almost instantly. And I'm terrible at remembering lyrics. I suppose it's a testament to the original's "real talk", discussing the difficulty of single motherhood in poverty and questioning societal judgement of those in poverty.
'What Would You Do?' demonstrated a depth rarely seen in popular R&B or hip hop, and perhaps it isn't entirely surprising that the track's producer, Wyclef Jean, would later attempt to become the president of Haiti. (Or is that too tenuous?) The BASTILLE version goes for a more subdued approach while retaining their characteristically brilliant melodramatic electro-choral sound.
Compare the City High version with the downloadable BASTILLE cover below. Preview the forthcoming EP at bastille.believe.com, where you can also sign up to the mailing list to get a free download of 'Icarus'.
FREE DOWNLOAD: What Would You Do? (City High Cover) by BASTILLE
The 'Laura Palmer' EP is scheduled for release on 14 November '11. Pre-order on iTunes to also get an exclusive acoustic version of the title track.
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