Credit: Mark Liddell
Not to toot our own horn or anything, but we know a good cover when we hear one. And although we might not have have predicted this pairing, singer/songwriter/dancer Ashlyne Huff's acoustic version of Paramore's "The Only Exception" is as lovely as can be.
As part of Billboard's "Mashup Mondays," Ashlyne's acoustic take on Paramore's hit is delicate, sweet, and feminine like the original. But unlike Paramore's version, which allows glimmers of frontwoman Hayley Williams' rock background to shine through, Ashlyne's take on "Exception" is rife with hints of pop and country, serving as a clear hat-tip to her southern roots -- Ashlyne's father was a big producer in the Nashville music scene.
About Hayley Williams and why she chose to cover Paramore, Ashlyne says, "[Hayley's] voice is really interesting to me because it's soft and then really powerful. I love the fact that [her voice] is really vulnerable and then it his you in the face all of the sudden, mid-song." We agree, but we need to give Ashlyne props, too -- her voice also hits us in the face a little (but in a nice, pillow fight way!). Backed only by a guitar, Ashlyne's vocals grow bigger and brighter as the song progresses, grabbing our ears and practically forcing us to listen.
Check out Ashlyne Huff's latest album Let It Out, available now.
+ Listen to Ashlyne Huff cover Paramore's "The Only Exception."