Mikey Votano Reworks The Gnarls Barkley Hit 'Crazy' With A Real Vintage Vibe

Aussie music artist and performer, Mikey Votano, has released his version of the massive global Gnarls Barkley mega hit ‘Crazy’.

Not a hard track to cover, you may think, but Mikey makes it uniquely his own by (oddly!) breathing ‘new’ life into a well-loved established song and transforming it into more of an altogether ‘vintage’ vibe (in fact, ‘retro’- fitting huge hits does seem to be Mikey’s trademark touch, his previous single being a rock ‘n’ roll rockabilly take on Walk The Moon’s ‘Shut Up & Dance'.)

This vibey vintage incarnation of ‘Crazy’ is also uniquely laced with a kind of punchy jungle groove, spangly spaghetti western guitars and gospel vocals - all whirl-winding into a pleasing crescendo. Musically the track works on a very entertaining toe-tapping, finger-clicking level. But thematically, and having come through Covid lockdown stress and isolation, mental wellness being uppermost in our current collective thoughts, it works on that level too.

Moreover, it seems that this track was chosen by Mikey, not just because it was a huge hit and as a kind of reference to questioning our mental wellness, but because it also has some personal resonance for Mikey himself. It echoes his own mental health issues having suffered from ADHD & anxiety as a child growing up. In a sense, by reworking the track, he’s taken control of the lyrics as a kind therapy to ask if he really is/was Crazy? Indeed, we could all ask ourselves the same thing. But that’s only if we are in a reflective, introspective mood about such things. It is possible to enjoy this punchy, vibey, single entirely just for the sake of it and for wanting to make you dance in your living room and singing along in front of the mirror. Recommend.

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