Dizzy – ‘This Must Be the Place’ (Cover) Single Review

My first Single review for Music is to Blame just so happens to be a cover of one of my all-time favourite songs, ‘This Must Be The Place (Naïve Melody)’. No pressure, Dizzy.  

Ontario based indie pop group Dizzy unintentionally spent most of their lockdown in the UK as COVID ground their (and everyone else’s) tour to a halt. They are however, treating us to a new four-track EP which is set to be released on the 13^th November via Communion Records. 'Basement Covers' will feature new renditions of songs by Sylvan Esso, The National, Britney Spears, and of course, Talking Heads. 

If you haven’t listened to Talking Heads before now, then I would hazard a guess that you would still be somewhat familiar with the track ‘This Must Be The Place’, as the unconventional yet sweet love song has become a firm favourite of younger audiences. Not only has it previously been covered by the likes of MGMT and Arcade Fire, but the name of the song also serves as the title of a 2011 film (in one scene David Byrne even appears and plays the song in full). 

Of choosing this particular song to cover, Dizzy frontwoman Katie Munshaw said, “’This Must Be the Place' took on a new meaning once quarantine hit. We chose to cover it because it seemed like the perfect push and pull between being on the road and missing home and missing being on tour with your band while being stuck in quarantine." So, with that, let’s get to it shall we? 

Taking on such a much-loved track is no easy task, but Dizzy certainly succeed in making the song their own. They strip everything down to its most basic level, eradicating any trace of its iconic synth-y goodness along the way. However, what we lose in funky beats and foot tapping potential, we gain in the softness of Katie Munshaw’s angelic vocals.  

Although released at the end of May, the arrival of Autumn seems an apt time to listen to the track as the slow paced, melancholic nature of the cover, accompanied with Munshaw’s wistful harmonies had me reminiscing about long summer evenings spent with friends and loved ones (not this summer though, obviously). Dizzy’s version is perhaps not only the perfect Ode to the summer plans that for everyone, everywhere, sadly had to be cancelled this year, but also a reminder of the importance of spending time with loved ones.  This year has given us all the chance to reflect on things (the good and the bad) and despite spending a lot of time confined within our homes already in 2020 – I know that ‘Home, is where I want to be’… 

A promising first cover, Dizzy’s rendition of ‘This Must Be The Place’ leaves you intrigued to hear what more they have in store for us. I certainly look forward to listening to the rest of the EP. 

 

'Basement Covers' Tracklist:
Slack Jaw (Sylvan Esso Cover)
Light Years (The National Cover)
This Must Be The Place (Talking Heads Cover)
Lucky (Britney Spears Cover) 

 

 - Eleanor Holloway-Pratt 

- @e_hpratt