Aoife O’Donovan’s “Nebraska” — A Fresh Take on a Classic Album

March 23, 2023 by
Aiofe O'Donovan Plays Nebraska-album cover

Aiofe O’Donovan Plays Nebraska / Album Cover

Aoife O’Donovan Plays Nebraska was initially a live-stream event recorded at her Brooklyn home on May 9, 2020, and released digitally in 2021. Now it’s available as a limited-edition vinyl LP, complete with cover art that faithfully mirrors Bruce Springsteen’s original.

At first, transposing these mostly somber, moody lyrics from Springsteen’s low, gruff tones to O’Donovan’s soulful alto may sound like an odd match. If anything, however, it shows that these songs are not just well crafted and insightful, but truly beautiful. Her clear readings, in a voice “at once delicate and powerful” (to quote New York folk guru Gordon Nash), in no way diminishes the impact of the album’s darker themes; if anything they may penetrate more deeply.

O’Donovan’s style puts a slightly different spin on some songs. Her “Atlantic City,” for example, takes on a rather wistful, almost  hopeful air as opposed to the matter-of-fact, pragmatic storytelling of Springsteen’s protagonist. Her take on “State Trooper” is sublime, especially when her ethereal vocal explodes with a brash, pleading, energetic burst on the last verse (“Hey somebody out there…”) before taking it down a notch for a final refrain of “Mister state trooper, please don’t stop me.”

Aoife O'Donovan at Bowery Ballroom on March 16, 2023/ photo by Gordon Nash

Aoife O’Donovan at Bowery Ballroom / photo by Gordon Nash

Unlike Springsteen, who chose not to tour in support of Nebraska, O’Donovan has taken her show on the road. One of the first stops was Manhattan’s Bowery Ballroom on March 16. Like the album, it was just her and her guitar (with one exception). From her plaintive singing on the title track to an impassioned interpretation of “Highway Patrolman” and her sweet, moving take on “My Father’s House,” O’Donovan delivers the goods, peppered with good-humored banter, and, as she does on the album, a  “thank you” to the boss himself and the quip “time to flip the record over, side B is about to begin” prior to launching into a faithful rendition of “Used Cars.”

For the closing number, “Reason to Believe,” O’Donovan was joined by Hawktail, the bluegrass band who served as the opening act. Adding instrumentation made the song’s vibe feel less ironic and more genuinely hopeful. Following extensive applause from the capacity crowd, she sang four songs from her previous albums, concluding with an audience singalong on “Oh, Mama.”