Safia’s ‘Like A Version’ Transforms A Queen Of The Stone Age Classic Into An Eerie Ballad
Tackling a former Hottest 100 winner is a risky move, but we reckon it works.
Canberran electro-pop trio Safia popped into the triple j studios this morning for Like A Version, transforming a Queens Of The Stone Age classic into a subdued, eerie ballad.
Back in 2002, ‘No One Knows’ topped triple j’s Hottest 100. It’s a quintessential song from the band’s catalogue, featuring their trademark heavy guitar lines and Josh Homme’s menacing growl.
But in Safia’s hands, it becomes a paired-back ballad, centring Ben Woolner’s voice as he absolutely belts. At times, the cover’s near a capella, with drummer Michael Bell switching to the piano to provide the bare chords, and Harry Sayers coming in occasionally with some guitar lines straight out of Twin Peaks.
A quick look at triple j’s Facebook comments shows people are pretty divided on the cover. For every comment calling it ‘boring’, another is celebrating Safia’s spooky take. For the record, we’re a fan; Safia’s turned ‘No One Knows’ into a distinctly different song, and we always give props to that.
The trio also performed recent single ‘Resolution’, swapping out the synths of the original for a string sextet. It’s the lead single from Story’s Start Or End, their third album out August; Safia will embark on a massive Australian tour soon after.
Watch both performances below.