I will admit that I’m a sucker for modulation effects on guitar. One of the standouts for me in Cool Ranch’s cover of “While Everyone’s Asleep”--the latest addition to our stable of IN Covers--is its effected electric guitar. It’s big and dirty, with the shifting tone of a well-placed flanger. It also handles the xylophone part, a favorite element from the Dust of 1000 Years' original.
 

Cool Ranch’s cover kicks off with a driving drum groove. To make up for the absence of a strong acoustic part, the drums are front and center; definitely louder in the mix than the original cut. Clearly aware of their importance, the drums form a no frills, solid foundation for the song.
 

Another key component in the arrangement for both tracks is the bass. Its pulse is strong in Cool Ranch’s cover, but with quite a bit more fuzz, adding to the overall aesthetic of the bands’ take on this song. Locking in with the drums, the low-end pushes the track forward.
 

While the original vocals seem dreamlike, Cool Ranch’s seem more like a hallucination. The ethereal melody lives just underneath the drums and guitar, forcing the listener to dig in. I found myself hitting play over and over again.
 

While the cover follows the original quite closely in arrangement, it certainly stands on its own in terms of feel. Cool Ranch captured the essence of this song while making it their own. For that reason it deserves a heavy rotation.