There are covers, and then there are transformations. On his new single "Purple Rain," Paul Cafcae makes the tune a part of his own story, weaving new threads of raw feeling and personal revelation into the lyrics and the melodies we all know by heart.
it's almost predictable that Cafcae's first attempt at a track would be as renowned as "Purple Rain" It says something about how he's fearless and committed, further cementing his influences into his aesthetic. The track comes as a part of the whole, with previously released singles starting to stitch a picture that, as musical moments seem often to do, has taken time to unravel.
The moment the first notes of his version land, it's obvious this is a dialogue. Cafcae's guitar work bears a gentle sense of urgency, while his earnest and unmediated vocals penetrate with the sincere strength of conviction. The restraint he exercises in the buildup affects the eventual crescendo more. If the original took flight with cinematic grandeur, Cafcae instead embraces intimacy. It's not a cover, but a re-imagining one that has a sense of looking back on the song's history, though he makes it his own.
Listeners who have tracked Paul since his early singles will experience a sense of arrival on this one. "Purple Rain" is a waypoint for a larger creative project. When heard next to his other output, it's the type of track that helps you situate the complete arc of his developing sound. The track shows us where Paul Cafcae is headed.