WEEKEND THROWBACK
“Lovin’s for Fools”
from the album Studio . Living Room
2006
iTunes
July 27, 2009:
Like many of Sarah Siskind’s fans, I’d never heard of her until Bon Iver started covering her song “Lovin’s for Fools” at its shows — sometimes with the band Bowerbirds, sometimes on its own and sometimes with Siskind herself singing along. Like a few other Siskind devotees, Bob Boilen had never heard of the Nashville singer-songwriter until her album Say It Louder showed up on his desk a few months ago; when he put it on, he was instantly smitten with the song “Falling Stars,” which he played on All Songs Considered.
It’s no faint praise to suggest that Bon Iver’s version of “Lovin’s for Fools” can’t quite live up to Siskind’s original: Hers is so wrenching, so infused with wounded grace, that it’s essentially untouchable. Her strong but vulnerable voice, her impeccable phrasing and her gently masterful guitar work make her an underexposed treasure.