Mathai : Vocals That Soar

One of my all time favourite songs is "Under The Bridge" (Red Hot Chili Peppers), and whenever I'm sitting around playing guitar, I find myself drifting back to that familiar guitar line, so eloquently set by John Frusciante more than twenty years ago now. And quite often, I look around Youtube for covers of the song that shaped my guitar playing the past few years. And when surfing around Youtube today I came across a brilliant cover by the very brilliant Mathai. Sharon Mathai sings those lyrics flawlessly and with unique character, which I love. And accompanying her on guitar is the incredibly talented Roark Bailey. Together they create a harmonious, peaceful sound that grows to that incredibly chaotic feeling at the end of the song. Have a listen!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNTp-17B_5s

Love it! I particularly enjoyed how they took the very chaotic end of the song and kept it very mellow and almost eery. They definitely put their own twist on it, while maintaining the incredible Red Hot Chili Peppers foundation, and of course John Frusciante's guitar style. Mathai's voice is ever so unique and quirky! The kind of thing you could sit and listen to for days on end. It's not your classically trained voice, nor your regular "pub" voice, but it's a very addictive tone. I love it!

Moving along, I urge you to subscribe to Mathai's Youtube channel and to "like" her Facebook page for updates. I only came across her about an hour ago and am still going through her stuff. She's got some stunning covers and originals on her Youtube, that you might want to check out. One that stood out to me, was uploaded quite recently. It's a cover of Johnny Cash's masterpiece "God's Gonna Cut You Down". This time, Mathai's accompanied by another very talented guitarist, Jacob Brown. He's definitely got some skills with that slide, and Mathai's vocals soar like an eagle! Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uajl3wfZ0Rs

Great, isn't it? I love how just about anyone can cover a Johnny Cash track and infuse it with their personality. And that's exactly what Mathai's done here. She's infused the song with her wild sound and Jacob's got a real earthy sound with that slide. Together the two create a sound that is appealing to the young crowd as well as the blues/country connoisseurs out there! Really great cover, and there are more to listen to, so support her!

And aside from those stunning, exquisite covers, Mathai's got some beautiful original music that you might want to check out. You can check out her website and listen to some of her music, and some more covers there or you could check out her Youtube. A song that caught my ear on her channel is entitled "Lady Luck". A live performance of the song left me clicking the "repeat" button. So, definitely check that out. And for those thinking "Haven't I seen that girl somewhere before?" Yes, you have. She was on 'The Voice' last year! But anyways, check out her original and support Youtube artists. Check back tomorrow for another fantastic artist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSQ1gDYCT00

Alex Hamel