It’s the dog days of summer and all you want to do is lay by a pool or hit the lake. Why would I even fathom bringing up the idea of harvest?
Harvest Moon is probably one of my favourite songs by Neil Young, but it’s hard to not evoke the idea of an old man yelling at clouds when I think of him. Harvest Moon feels like one of those songs that would get put on at the end of the night at a party your parents were hosting. Just a room full of middle aged people slow dancing like they were in Junior High.
Poolside, an electronic duo out of Los Angeles make music that you’d frankly listen to pool side. Poppy, light, and optimistic. Their entire record Pacific Standard Time is a must listen. It’s great music for Sunday mornings and late summer parties.
It’s obvious that Poolside easily keeps the mellow vibes of Harvest Moon, but builds layers upon layers on top of it. The song begins with a bouncy pop beat made up of hand claps adding, light synth, the familiar guitar riff from the original, and dulcet vocals.
Poolside experiments with their take on the song. Replacing the harmonica solo of Neil Young with a cavalcade of finely tuned layered synth sounds and adding over a full minute of music to the cover.
Their unique take on this Neil Young classic is refreshing. Most covers of Neil Young songs feel like mirror images of the original, like someone sitting on a stool in their bedroom singing to a webcam.
Poolside’s version of Harvest Moon makes you want to get out there and enjoy those warm summer evenings before they’re gone for another year.