Considering the bombastic pop on much of last year’s Lover, you could say Taylor Swift’s latest LP, folklore, is already a stripped down affair. However, she’s now pulled back the production ever further with what she’s calling her “cabin in the candlelight” version of the album’s first single, “cardigan”.
Without the lush orchestration of the album version, it seems there’s only a plucky guitar and Aaron Dessner’s piano left to carry Swift’s voice, which gives those vocals far more of the spotlight. It sounds almost like a charming toy version of the song, simpler and unadorned, each string distinctly audible.
The alternate take comes with a music video compiled of footage from the folklore cover shoot. There’s shots of Swift looking sublimely forlorn in some tall grass, sitting sublimely forlorn on a rock, and walking sublimely forlorn down a wooded road. Ya know, really digging into the whole “indie folk” feel of this whole release.
Check out the “cardigan – cabin in the candlelight” video below, and read our review of folklore. Spoiler: It’s really good.
