Car Seat Headrest has released audio for his long-promised Smash Mouth cover, after Will Toledo and the Mouth premiered their respective versions of each others’ songs on SiriusXMU last week. Car Seat Headrest took on “Fallen Horses” from SM’s iconic 1999 sophomore album Astro Lounge–a melancholic, psychedelically-tinged ballad which puts Smash Mouth’s full range of musicality on display as much as anything in their catalogue. Toledo’s version lacks the infectious synth leads and thunderous handclap snares of Smash Mouth’s version, favoring a Phil-Elverum-reminiscent duo arrangement of acoustic and overdriven guitar. Toledo’s vocals are raw and emotive, robbing the song of some of its original swing. Smash Mouth released their driving, spirited CSH cover last week–a version of “Something Soon” from Teens in Denial–and it’s likely the better of the two covers. Listen to Toledo’s version of “Fallen Horses,” along with the original, below.
