Listen to Car Seat Headrest’s Impressive Cover of David Bowie’s “Blackstar”

We ranked David Bowie’s “Blackstar” as our number-four song of the year so far, and for good reason. It’s a smoldering, harrowing introduction to an exploration of a man’s dying days, a tune as deeply personal as it is artful.

In the months since Bowie’s still-heartbreaking death, various artists and bands have played tribute to the singer through covers of his many timeless songs and albums. However, few have touched the material on Blackstar, likely because of its extremely singular sound and purpose.

Leave it to Will Toledo of Car Seat Headrest to damn the torpedoes and try it anyway. Toledo and his band have performed Blackstar’s title track on their current tour and recently stopped by Minneapolis radio show “The Current” to share it with the rest of the world.

Hear the band’s cover over on The Current’s website right here by either playing the whole show (“Blackstar” starts at the 20:55 mark) or selecting the performance from the playlist window on the right.

Car Seat Headrest cut down the song’s length by a little less than half and mostly focus on Bowie’s harrowing first verse while adding some sick guitar solos. It’s not reverent of the original, but it’s a killer performance, and one that would hopefully make the Thin White Duke grin.