Adele’s ‘Set Fire to the Rain’ Covered by Country Singer Dierks Bentley
To say that Adele has experienced a meteoric rise would be an understatement. The last several years have seen her transition from a lowly London musician to one of the world’s leading recording artists at just 24 years old, making Adele not only a phenom but an inspiration to her fellow musicians, as well as her fans. The latest musician to put his own spin on her soulful sound is accomplished country musician Dierks Bentley.
While covering Adele isn’t exactly innovative these days, Bentley manages to take her song ‘Set Fire to the Rain’ and transform it into a well-composed country bluegrass ballad when performing live for CMT’s ‘Unplugged’ in the video below. Bentley’s voice doesn’t make quite the same impression as Adele’s, but the musical accompaniment certainly makes up for his seemingly absent range. The quintessential country instrument — the guitar (played by Bentley) — spearheads this composition, beautifully complimented by a haunting violin line and a masterful display of banjo plucking. A subtle drum line is another highlight of the piece, its simple under-beat making space for the banjo and violin to flourish. It is certainly a very unique cover.
While Bentley perhaps fails to capture the depth, richness, and soul of Adele’s original version, he does succeed in creating a slightly eerier mood that the song’s lyrics seem to imply. It is the violin that achieves this effect. While the original version also features a violin, it serves more as one of many background sounds complimenting the lead piano. The lack of a piano in Bentley’s cover allows the string instruments to become more present and central, abandoning the rapturous, revelatory sound of Adele’s take for a more soothing rendition. Of course, you also must account for the fact that Adele had hundreds of thousands of dollars of recording equipment at her disposal while Bentley was merely using live acoustic instruments.
Bentley delivers a touching, emotionally-driven cover that definitely deserves recognition. Knowing his voice could not synthesize the magnanimity of Adele’s, he adapts the piece to suit his own talent and style.
Watch Dierks Bentley Cover Adele’s ‘Set Fire to the Rain’