Ezra Koenig, the bookish frontman of Vampire Weekend, has covered Paul Simon’s “Papa Hobo” for the soundtrack of the upcoming film “Ceremony.” As far as covers go, it is a nice enough effort, primarily featuring acoustic guitar and Koenig’s unique voice. Koenig did well to choose “Papa Hobo” to cover, as his voice undoubtedly recalls Simon’s on multiple occasions during the song. In fact, it is easy to imagine Koenig’s entire career paralleling Simon’s – perhaps “Papa Hobo” is a harbinger of things to come. We’ll let you form your own opinion there.
Amazingly, despite not playing a single note or singing a single word here, it is actually Simon that is the star of Koenig’s cover. Ezra’s straightforward delivery permits Simon’s songwriting to shine through, and his characteristic chord changes sound fresh even thirty years after he first recorded “Papa Hobo.” The song is too slight to be called a classic, but the building blocks of Simon’s later works are here, and it is fun to view them through rose-colored glasses.
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