The Tragically Hip have wisely not reunited since singer Gord Downie‘s tragic death in 2017, but they closest they came was a lockdown-era performance of “‘It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken'” with Feist at the 2021 JUNO Awards — and that gorgeous rendition has now gotten an official stand-alone release (in conjunction with the docuseries No Dress Rehearsal, one of Exclaim!’s favourite TV shows of the year).
Downie can never be replaced, of course — which is what makes Feist the perfect fill-in. She sounds nothing like Downie in timbre, but she has a similarly unique way to way her emotive voice swoops and dives, with quavers and inhalations that leave almost as much impact as the notes or words.
The band play it totally straight, sounding very much like the performance heard on 2002’s In Violet Light. The Hip may be gone forever — but this is as good a tribute as we’re ever likely to hear, carrying the soul the group with earnest reverence rather than imitation.
