The Hope Singers and Bror Gunnar Jansson reignite a classic with grace on “Free Money”

The Hope Singers are back with a thrilling new single, offering a fresh and reverent take on Patti Smith’s classic “Free Money”. This time, the rambling Swedish DIY collective has pushed its feet first and let a guest vocalist seem almost as if he were meant to be there, blues punk soul bruiser Bror Gunnar Jansson. Together, they bring the kind of cover that’s road-worn and soaring at once, for the roll down your windows on the open highway pleasure.

You can hear from the first notes that this one isn’t out to duplicate, it’s going for something smaller in scale. The Hope Singers’ characteristic warmth and moody touch lend the song a uniquely Swedish hue, rounding out the contours just enough so that Jansson’s voice can spark at the core. His delivery is gorgeously unfussed, a mix of grit, openness, and lived-in truth. This is the kind of performance that makes you lean in, even if you know every line of the original.

What’s striking about this cover is the quiet confidence of those assembled behind it. Working outside Stockholm, The Hope Singers have a DIY ethos that is evident in the track’s organic feel. There’s no polish, no extraneous flourish, just a band locked in on that emotional core of the song and allowing themselves to be led by the frontwoman, bringing it to life.

As the song grows, it revitalizes the familiar sense of longing in “Free Money.” Instead of an explosion of rebellion, though, this takes on an escalating emotional swell like riding in a car through open land, with a sky that makes it feel like everything is boundless and the world is temporarily generous.