Guster Shares Labi Siffre Cover

Guster has returned with a cover of Labi Siffre‘s “Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying.” The song served as the title track of the British singer-songwriter’s 1972 release.

Guster’s rendition is more direct than the original, with the band offering a fuller, less atmospheric sound. Featuring a truncated intro and gorgeous harmonies, the Boston act gracefully pays tribute to the tune while honoring their own indie-rock roots.

As Ryan Miller explained in a statement:

The Great Algorithm In The Sky™ dropped a doozy on me years ago — “Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying.” Not to give too much credit as anything with a one/zero knows I’m a sucker for simple, powerfully delivered, delicate undiscovered 70’s jams. What I DIDN’T anticipate was how much this quiet protest song would crawl into my skin. Labi, raised as a Catholic but outspoken as both an atheist and as a gay man, manages to convey the struggle of identity and romance and longing in a few short bars. This one is in the tower of song.

Listen to Guster’s cover of “Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying” below: