Lion Babe's star is steadily rising. After dropping their self-titled EP last year and heating things up with "Wonder Woman" this past winter, the duo was tapped by ESPN to perform in a promo during the NFL Draft. The song they performed? None other than Curtis Mayfield's uplifting classic "Move On Up." While we only got to hear a small piece of their cover in the promo, the generous twosome have offered up the whole enchilada for our listening pleasure today.
It should be noted that Lion Babe's isn't a straight cover of the '70s soul classic. Gone are the strings and horns of the original, replaced by more modern electronic instrumentation. While normally that would be a big problem, they somehow make it work. Jillian Hervey sings the iconic horn line before delivering an inspired take on the song's verse and chorus while Lucas Goodman lays down a bumping drum loop and layered synths that are head nod-worthy. Admittedly, this different approach does take away some of the social urgency of Mayfield's original, but not enough that the song's hopeful message is lost.
As the group continues making big moves, you can check out what they do with the song below. And, if you're feeling like a bit more Lion Babe, you can check out their full EP on SoundCloud, which now includes an imaginative intro and bonus track "Little Dreamer."
