Humility is everything in this business, and if you learn how to bring it into the studio with you, you’re already a mile ahead of well over half the recording population in 2021. It takes a lot to stay strong and even more to break out some good humor when we need it the most, and in his cover of “Are You Lonesome Tonight,” Des Cox chooses the latter and comes out sounding like a genuine hero. There are a lot of different ways to show solidarity with the masses in times like these, from volunteering to vocally spreading love, and Cox shows us here that extending musical kindness is among the best gestures we’ve still got in this world.
You don’t have to be super familiar with the classic version of “Are You Lonesome Tonight” to appreciate the bones of the composition as they’ve been stylized in this single, but for those who are, it’s a respectful work I think you’re going to approve of. Elvis Presley set a standard that few to have come after him have been able to live up to, but rather than trying to do the impossible with his rendition of this song, Cox experiments and makes it feel and sound like something born of his own heart.
Des Cox preserves the melodicism of “Are You Lonesome Tonight” diligently, but he also leaves everything else on the table essentially wide open to a versatile, improvisational wit that becomes the guiding hand behind his lyrics here later on. A lot of bands can throw together a cover when they’re playing a show and looking to transition into the next part of their setlist, but this has a life of its own that doesn’t feel so amateurish. It’s poetry in motion, and better yet, it’s pumped up by unvarnished laughs.
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The vocal charisma here bleeds into the music and spreads warmth to the audience in a fashion that just wouldn’t have been possible were someone else holding the mic as opposed to Des Cox, and I think this is indicative of a man who has really found his signature sound. He’s making an Elvis song feel like a piece of material that he conjured up on his own time from events that transpired in his own life, and if this isn’t something to celebrate professionally, I really do not know what else would qualify.
A charming cover of rare value to both the Elvis Presley aficionado and those who demand quality music in their lives, Des Cox nails it with “Are You Lonesome Tonight” while making it perfectly clear to us that he has not yet reached his artistic peak. There’s still a lot of ground for this guy to cover that he’s barely scratched the surface of in singles like this one and last year’s “My Internet Lover,” and despite facing a lot of competition from around the underground, his moxie is pushing him into the spotlight once again in this performance (and likely those that will come in its wake).
Jodi Marxbury
The music of Des Cox has been heard all over the world in partnership with the radio plugging services offered by Musik and Film Radio Promotions Division. Learn more https://musikandfilm.com