It is difficult to cover Tom Waits. His songs are too personal, strange and full of character, however, Eddie Skuller seems to understand this very well. On “Blind Love”, his four-track tribute EP, he does not imitate Waits. Instead, he takes these songs and gives them a different shape – and that is exactly why this EP works. From the opening “Blind Love” to “You Can Never Hold Back Spring”, Skuller focuses on the songwriting rather than the mythology surrounding Waits. “Downtown Train” and “House Where Nobody Lives” stand out immediately, but the four tracks work well together, creating a consistent atmosphere without sounding like four versions of the same song. Skuller’s voice is a big part of that. His lofty tenor is unusual and instantly recognizable, bringing a cleaner and more vulnerable quality to material originally associated with Waits’ rougher delivery. There is no attempt to reproduce the originals. Instead, Skuller lets the melodies and lyrics lead, proving that these songs can survive a completely different vocal approach. The decision to record the performances live to tape also gives the EP a character of its own. There is warmth and spontaneity in the sound, while Nick Kinsey’s production avoids making everything too predictable. The bass, guitar, keyboards and Ryder Cooley’s accordion add subtle layers without taking attention away from the vocals. “House Where Nobody Lives” is perhaps the strongest example of this approach. Skuller finds the simplicity in the song and lets its central idea speak for itself: a house is only valuable when there is love inside it. “Blind Love” is a short EP, but it does what a good tribute should do. It respects the source material while giving it a new identity. Eddie Skuller clearly loves these songs, and more importantly, he understands how to make them his own.
♦ 8/10
Dimitris Zacharopoulos
