Miki Howard, who often seems ageless, transcends that quality to her music, regularly making jazzy-inspired tunes of the past sound crisp, fresh and new. Enter “Pillow Talk,” Miki’s cover of Sylvia’s sensuous ’70s classic. Though she covered the song in 2006, she’s recorded another rendition for her forthcoming album, Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blues, which is scheduled to be on iTunes on June 17th.
The 2014 take on “Pillow Talk” is quite different from the smoothed-out take from eight years ago. The track has a bit of a Latin flair, accented by the “Hola, papi” and exclamations of “arriba” that Miki drops throughout the track. While “Pillow Talk” is typically a slow-burning bedroom jam, this new version feels a bit rushed. Then again, maybe the track is a bit more dance floor ready, setting the scene in a salsa club rather than taking the traditional route of being a quiet storm jam for a quiet night at home. Either way, Miki’s vocals are as impeccable as ever and make the track a soothing listen regardless of its tempo.
