By: Grant Kelly, Contributor

[Atlantic; 2024]

Rating: 5/10

When I first caught wind earlier this year that David Byrne, legendary new wave pioneer, was covering one of my favorite Paramore songs, it quickly became one of the most intriguing prospective releases of the year for me. The original song has a distinct bounciness and driving energy to it that seems, if not outright inspired, strongly reminiscent of some of the dance-punk jams Byrne was writing with the Talking Heads in the 70s and 80s. It was cool to see the two artists connecting over their shared musical lineage. Of course, several decades have passed since his prime era as a performer, and I don’t expect him to bring nearly the same energy he once did on those older recordings, but I figured he would still be able to put a unique spin on such a fun modern song. 

“Hard Times” (as performed by David Byrne) is, in fact, unique. However, something about the track doesn’t quite work for me. 

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Instrumentally, the track is solid. Byrne’s rendition reigns in some of the more electric elements of the Paramore version, instead incorporating more acoustic hand percussion, horns, and magnifying the funk groove from the original. He does an excellent job transforming the song into something new and distinctly David Byrne, while still retaining the spirit that made it so infectious to begin with. 

My main issue with the track lies in the vocals: frankly, they’re just a little unflattering. For one thing, there are a few points in the song where Byrne feels like he’s straining to try and match the vocal intervals from the original’s melody, and his almost pained delivery clashes uncomfortably with the playful, upbeat instrumental behind him. 

Additionally, I think the vocal track itself could have been mixed better with the rest of the instruments. It has a strange, isolated quality to it that makes it feel as though it was tacked on haphazardly, like he’s singing over top of a finished backing track rather than being in the same space as the other performers. 

Ultimately, I’m glad that this song exists, but it could have been executed a bit better. As it stands, it’s not something I feel particularly compelled to listen to again. 

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