Cavetown Just Covered Frank Ocean, and We Are Eternally Stuck in Our Feels
Robin Skinner, more popularly known by the moniker Cavetown, has established himself as the very definition of a DIY star. Crafting his distinctive brand of folk-pop entirely by himself in his bedroom, the UK artist's bright melodies and poignant songwriting strikes a chord on a universal scale in spite of its modest origins.
With a songwriting style that provides a moment of calm in the ensuing chaos and confusion that is life, it was difficult to imagine a single work of Cavetown that could strike us right in the heart as much as the likes of "Devil Town" or his fourth album Lemon Boy. Then, he had to just go and cover Frank Ocean. Released as part of his ongoing Animal Kingdom collaboration series, the double-sided LP sees the release of "hh" by Skinner's friends in Mario Golf and a cover of Frank Ocean's "Self Control."
"Self Control," which was originally released on Ocean's landmark 2016 album Blonde, gets an arresting, stripped-back rendition courtesy of Cavetown. From the very opening moments when the DIY UK artist utters the infamous line, "I'll be the boyfriend in your wet dreams tonight/ Noses on a rail, little virgin wears the white," we are whisked away by this wonderful marriage of Ocean's lyricism and Cavetown's sonics. The acoustic, folk-tinged reimagining of an Ocean Staple, then again what song off Blonde isn't an Ocean staple, has us wrapped up entirely in our feels and shows no signs of letting go anytime soon.
Listen to the cover of "Self Control" below, in addition to the new Mario Golf track:
