SONG OF THE DAY: August 26th

Aggro1, “Since U Been Hard 2 Find” (Kelly Clarkson v. American Analog Set)

We haven’t featured many mash-ups as of yet on the Song of the Day, but such compositions are a very delicate and under appreciated art form. In short, they can either be truly excellent augmentations of the original works or they can suck horrendously. There’s not a lot of room in between. This mash-up by Aggro1 undoubtedly falls in the former category.

Mashing up Kelly Clarkson’s iconic “Since U Been Gone” with the more mellow tunes of American Analog Set’s “Hard To Find,” Aggro1 perfectly matches the despair-dominated mood of Clarkson’s lyrics with a fittingly subdued accompaniment. The arena-rousing tempo of the original recording, off 2004′s commercially and critically succesful Breakaway, is so ubiquitous — especially in American youth culture — that it is almost eerie to wait for the chorus’ soaring vocals and rampaging power chords, only to hear smooth instrumentation capable of lulling you into a blissful sleep instead. The songs mesh perfectly on every level and create a winning mash-up that should perfectly suit those who want to appreciate Clarkson’s superior voice without all the pop-rock quasi-rabble-rousing.

Listen to: Aggro1, “Since U Been Hard 2 Find” (Kelly Clarkson v. American Analog Set)