should've known better

Despite (or perhaps because of) the consciousness of my musical fandom, I tend to be remarkably insulated from that segment of modern music that is reflected in mainstream radio and the tastes of high school students. While this is usually a mercy, it does mean that the occasional piece of crucial information will escape my notice. This is why it only recently came to my attention that Seether, a group whose musical crimes extend back to the days when I was woefully engaged in their musical sphere, currently has a cover of Careless Whisper in circulation.

A bit of background: My cousin PK and I have, for several months now, been indulging in the music of Wham! (whose exclamation point is less an affectation and more a grammatical necessity). The ironic nature of these listening exercises dwindles by the moment - the fourth time in a weekend that one intentionally exposes themself to Young Guns, it becomes difficult to uphold the alibi that their enjoyment is anything less than sincere. Technically, we have a strong dislike for George Michael, and deservedly so; his music is terrible. Nonetheless, our veneer of cynicism has become strained, to say the least.

Back to the topic at hand. You would think that a bad cover of a song that I enjoy for its badness would be doubly delightful. However, Seether's concoction is somehow anything but - it's bad in the wrong way, a way we never offered our complicity. It's a goddamn Wham! song guys, you don't improve on it by adding melodrama. The appeal is the cheese, trying to be serious with this material is like doing a coffee shop reading of Dr. Seuss. Observe how Exile (whose theme song for Street Fighter IV has become another guilty pleasure) gets it right.

And with that, I think I've exposed myself to enough shame for today.