James Blake - “The Sound Of Silence” (Simon & Garfunkel Cover)

James Blake returned to BBC Radio 1’s Residency tonight, and he was joined on air by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, as Pitchfork points out. The two chatted about a number of topics, and Blake closed out the show by playing a new cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound Of Silence,” which he dedicated to a friend who passed away on New Year’s Eve. Although he swaps out the original’s rippling guitar for his usual mournful synths, it’s a pretty minimal, faithful cover — which is good, because the original is gorgeous, and so is this. Listen below, and hear the entire mix here via the BBC.

Simon And Garfunkel - The Sound Of Silence (with lyrics)