William Elliott Whitmore Covers The Magnetic Fields

Photo by Doug Ewing

Doing a country/Americana version of a Magnetic Fields song might seem strange, but William Elliott Whitmore may have chosen the perfect one to cover with "Fear of Trains." With lyrics like "It was the army train that took her daddy from her / It was the bible train that took her momma too / And that high loud whistle made her horse run away / But the straw that broke the camel's back was you," the song was meant to be a country song. Unless you're incredibly familiar with the lyrics of Stephin Merritt, you'd most likely never pick up on this being a Magnetic Fields song since it's such a unique take, that somehow just feels correct.

You can listen to William Elliott Whitmore's take on "Fear of Trains" below. It will be included on his upcoming all covers album, Kilonova. That will be out on September 7 via Bloodshot Records, and feature covers of songs by Bad Religion, Johnny Cash, ZZ Top, Captain Beefheart, and more. It can be pre-ordered here. For more on William Elliott Whitmore, check out his website.