When Kurt Cobain committed suicide, he quoted Neil Young's "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)" and it's forever changed line, "It's better to burn out than fade away." Considering all of the connotations that this song has had since the definitive grunge icon took himself away from us (as well as the simple fact that Neil Young is such an influential presence in indie rock), "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)" doesn't seem like an obvious choice for a group to cover, but electro pop artists
Chromatics took it on, and the gamble paid off.
Perhaps it's because of all of the subtext that's been written into the song over the years, but there is just something haunting about this rendition of the song. It's very low-key and understated, but the powerful nature of Neil Young's words and the remorseful vocals of the Chromatics vocalist make this a cover that may very well stand up to the original song. We won't say that it's better, but it's a respectful and remarkably well done version of a great track and everybody should give this about four or five spins. You won't regret it.
