Ashley Monroe recently performed an acoustic cover of Joni Mitchell's sad Christmas song of sorts, "River," as part of the A.V. Club's Holiday Undercover series, and she certainly gave the beautifully somber track its justice.
The song appears on Canadian artist Joni Mitchell's fourth studio 1971 album Blue, which is not quite a Christmas record, but one of the most popular country albums by a female artist in the '70s.
Mornoe's fiddler leads in with an even more eternally sad "Jingle Bells" instrumental than the original song, albeit being super clean and precise. The lead-in sets the bar high, but the Nashville-based singer does not dissapoint, allowing her true emotion to shine through in her vocals and the Christmas decorations and wreath wallpaper set the stage quite well for any Christmas cover.
Shortly after performing the cover, the Monroe explained why she chose the particular tune, aside from it being one of the most covered songs in general. "I picked 'River' because it's the most sad, beautiful Christmas song I've ever heard in my life," she said. "Every time I sing it I kind of cry a little on the inside. I've always loved sad Christmas songs. I don't know why but I do."
Monroe, who seems to have a knack for sad songs in general, released her third studio album The Blade earlier this year, which has gone on to recieve a Grammy nomination for Best Country Album.
