Now it goes without saying that it takes a pretty big pair to take on a track as iconic as Folsom Prison Blues, but that is just what Chad Kichula has done on his recently released new album The Whale’s Back.

It is also fair to say that we were pretty dubious as to the likely quality, but thankfully Kichula has enough about him to transform the song into something far more fragile than the original, with a delicate finger-picked rhythm, and even carrying a hint of mariachi about it.

The ten tracks on the record also include versions of classics by Hank Williams, Tom Waits and Steve Earle, so there is no doubting his nerve, but he is a fine songwriter in his own right too, with the other six songs holding their own with the cover versions, and demonstrating a rare empathy and understanding of the troubadour’s craft.

Watch the video for the album title track below. Stream the Johnny Cash cover and order from his website here.

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