A musician’s influence can be incredibly apparent in their sound, but Albuquerque, New Mexico singer-songwriter Kàsh Mojo takes it one step further with a live electric cover of Sparklehorse’s 1999 live at Leeds indie clanger “Cow.”
From Mojo’s debut album Buried or Replaced, he adds to Sparklehorse’s alluring dark landscapes, created in the original version of “Cow,” with his baritone voice building on the song’s already haunting lyrics with an addition of harmonious electric guitars.
The song builds with the listener being introduced to Mojo’s post-rock universe as it reaches a slow crescendo of emotions and brooding visions. Backed by a group of musicians from Austin, Texas, Mojo breathes new life into an indie classic.
Mojo became obsessed with Sparklehorse after band leader Mark Linkous’ suicide in 2010. He found that Linkous sometimes hid his lyrics behind different effects such as purposely singing into poor quality microphones for effect.
When Mojo went to cut the album Buried or Replaced, he brought in “Cow” to cover because he felt like it embodied the mood and scene he wanted on the record. And Mojo achieves it with the reimagined electric version that brings the haunting lyrics to the forefront.
For this single, Mojo is backed by an all-star crew from Austin, Texas, including members of Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears. The song was produced by Bryan Ray (Lonely Child) and Grammy Award winning engineer Stuart Sikes (Loretta Lynn, The White Stripes, Modest Mouse). “Cow” is a follow-up single to Mojo’s first song, “Galveston Gone,” off the album Buried or Replaced to be released in 2023.
Mojo’s debut single “Galveston Gone” was released in 2022. It tells the tale of another pensive songwriter, Townes Van Zandt. The booming baritone voice of Mojo croons themes of love, opportunities, and memories lost in Townes’ tumultuous life. A catchy bassline and scorching baritone saxophone and guitar solos builds a signature sound for Mojo that is unique but also familiar.
