Two folkie cuts today:

Jack White - "Never Far Away". One of the pile of tracks Jack White recorded for Minghella's Cold Mountain (in which he also acts). Contrary to the plugged-in, yammering blues of the White Stripes, on these pieces, White shows his admiration for Appalachian folk and bluegrass arrangements. This track, however, isn't really that - in fact, it's the least oldtimey of White's contributions to the album. Instead, "Never Far Away" refigured Jack White as Paul McCartney circa "Blackbird," just finger-picked acoustic guitar and the long strokes of a cello (?) that fill out the back. He plays well, but to be honest, it's not really that good (is it?). My quest to 'get' White continues.

Herman Dune - "You're So Far From Me. Belgium's Herman Dune (I think it's Belgium) just finished recording an album with Julie Doiron, to be released this year... "You're So Far From Me," however, is taken from Turn Off the Light, and it's definitely not Doiron singing. :) Instead, there's a gnarled and weird voice to match the creaky acoustic guitar. Where it goes from so-so to wonderful is in the chorus, where the singer scoops the words up with a clumsy, noncommittal emotion. "Not feeling," he sings, and it really does sound like something's broken.

I bought Bubba Sparxxx's Deliverance today, only to find that the version I downloaded isn't the same one as on the record. Gone are the kick-ass Justin Timberlake and Missy Elliott vocal samples, to the songs' considerable detriment. Argh!