cover art by HanFran Studio; image courtesy of Kelsey Blackstone

Single Review of Kelsey Blackstone: “505”

Kelsey Blackstone is one of New England’s rising young singers. Rather, I suppose, now she’s one of Nashville’s, but she was still in the Northeast when this song was recorded, so for this single, at least, it’s unambiguous. A few months ago, I reviewed Kelsey’s single with Jason LaPierre “When I’m With You,” which was a Video of the Year nominee at the 2023 New England Music Awards, so this isn’t her first appearance here at the blog.

photo by Ben Crocker; photo courtesy of Kelsey Blackstone

Kelsey’s newest single is a cover of Arctic Monkeys’ “505,” that’s relatively faithful, particularly early on, except that Kelsey’s vocals are crisper and she exudes more power, especially as the song builds, serving up a more dynamic vocal performance that gives her rendition a bit more vibrancy. The variances from the original aren’t huge or dramatic at first, but they are sufficient to give the song a fresh, updated feel, even at the beginning, as the original has a graininess that pegs it quite emphatically to its decade. Kelsey also uses well-placed horns on her cover, giving her “505” a more classic, timeless feel. In fact, classicness seems to be Kelsey’s calling card, creating a sound that doesn’t exactly sound modern, but neither is it dated. It’s more the way a jazz singer might voice pop songs, emotively and a little provocatively, if I had to try to describe it. As “505” progresses, the updates become more noticeable. For example, Kelsey’s soundbed is richer, eschewing the production preferences of the original’s period, and the energy and intensity her vocals reach as they surge during the latter half of the song give this version a hearty cathartic release in lieu of a portion of the longingly aching, melancholic quality of the original.

photo by Ben Crocker; photo courtesy of Kelsey Blackstone

I also spent a fair bit of time trying to figure out who Kelsey’s vocals remind me of on this song. And it’s not an exact match, but the shape of her vowels and her delivery cadence are reminiscent of a young singer I spoke very highly of in this blog several years ago, Sophia Ward of TOS. There aren’t a lot of Sophia’s songs available online for comparison anymore, but if you’ve heard Sophia sing, you’ll notice the similarities.

Suffice it to say, Kelsey Blackstone has delivered a cool version of “505,” true enough to the original to be easily recognizable and appreciated by Arctic Monkeys fans while altered enough, as all good covers should be, to reflect her own style and strengths. Also, with the way the “505” builds and the kind of frenetic energy it wields, particularly in the song’s second half before its cathartic, buzzy final few seconds, this cover should really get the joint jumpin’ during a live performance.

photo by Ben Crocker; photo courtesy of Kelsey Blackstone

Looking Ahead

There are no shows currently listed on the “Tour” page of Kelsey’s website, nor are there any listed on her Bandsintown concert page. But be sure to keep an eye on both of those spots – and her Instagram page – to find out when and where she’ll appear next.