In a surprising musical twist, Coheed and Cambria’s frontman Claudio Sanchez has unveiled a hauntingly beautiful cover of The Cure’s iconic hit, Just Like Heaven. Released as part of the progressive rock band’s ongoing exploration of diverse sonic landscapes, the track reimagines the beloved 1987 single.
The arrangement is striking in its simplicity. A vintage drum machine provides a steady beat while Sanchez plays the song’s melody on an acoustic guitar. The instrumentation remains sparse, with only subtle layers of artificial strings in the background. Sanchez’s high tenor is also a perfect match for Robert Smith’s original vocal range, imbuing the track with a tender quality. Sanchez’s emotive vocals also take centre stage here, revealing a raw vulnerability that breathes new life into the classic love song
Sanchez shared that his first encounter with the Just Like Heaven came after watching a cover by the American rock band Dinosaur Jr. “They were skaters, so the reference to ‘tricks’ at the top of the song made me think of a lovestruck skater, dreaming up kickflips and rail slides,” he writes via the YouTube description. At the time, Sanchez was only familiar with The Cure’s greatest hits. “I didn’t know much about their albums beyond the classics,” he notes. “But I dove into their discography, and that’s when I discovered The Head on the Door and Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, and eventually the original ‘Just Like Heaven.'”
The cover comes after the recent release of the Cure’s highly anticipated new album, Songs of a Lost World. Reflecting on the unique relationship with the song, Sanchez notes “It’s strange but powerful to connect with a song through someone else’s interpretation of it. That’s part of why I chose ‘Just Like Heaven’ for this month’s cover.”
Watch Claudio Sanchez’s mesmerising version of The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” below.
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