Alex Genadinik is a New York based singer-songwriter whose dedication to poetry constitutes the foundation of his style. The last release of his which we listened to was Michelangelo, an exquisite rendering of the famous painting, The Creation of Adam, in song form. Now, Genadinik returns with the release of his new single, Who By Fire, which is a cover of the classic Leonard Cohen song from 1974.
The music of Cohen is an obvious fit for an artist like Genadinik who places so much emphasis on allegory and wordplay. This particular song focuses on the inevitability of death, despite not knowing when, or in what form, it will come… “Who by fire? / Who by water? / Who in the sunshine? / Who in the night time?”
Genadinik’s version seeks to energize Cohen’s original, fleshing out the arrangement with a full, rock ensemble. This helps to bring emphasis to dramatic moments in the song without compromising the atmosphere of the original. The addition of overdriven guitar and booming drum fills suits the dark, harmonic current that flows through the song.
Halfway through, the track switches into double-time for an instrumental section that shows the influence of Genadinick’s Ukrainian heritage. A nice string part is introduced and the acoustic guitar employs an Eastern scale for a tremolo picking part that might well be the highlight of the song.
There is a timeless aspect to all of Leonard Cohen’s poetry, but Who By Fire, with its overarching theme of mortality, certainly embodies this description and it is very pleasing to see an artist like Alex Genadinick take this tune and bing it in to the 21st-century. This is an inspired and tasteful version that fans of Cohen will be delighted with.
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BELOW: Listen to Who By Fire and connect with his website and social media platforms. Please support Alex Genadinik by visiting him online, and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing his music, or attending a live show! And, as always, thank you for supporting real music!
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