Sia Puts a Haunting, Orchestral Spin on ‘California Dreamin’

If you were under the impression that the '60s classic "California Dreamin'" by the Mamas and the Papas couldn't get any better than it already is, Sia just proved you wrong. The "Elastic Heart" singer covered the song for the soundtrack to the upcoming thriller San Andreas, and it goes from zero to kickass so quick that we're more excited to hear the full version of the song than to see the actual movie. (Sorry, Kylie Minogue.)

The part of "California Dreamin'" that you can hear in the trailer is the very beginning of the track -- a moody, orchestral version of the original. It's a bit of a departure from the Mamas and the Papas' version, but maintains that same sense of longing. Somehow, it works because Sia is a modern-day Midas (well, minus the terrible consequences) and everything she touches turns to gold. We admit we'd be content if the entire track were this slowed-down version of the classic, but we decided to check out a longer preview on iTunes because we couldn't help ourselves. Here's what we found out: The clip in the trailer does not do the rest of the song justice. Sia's haunting vocals take charge, then there's a lull, a drum beat kicks in and the track launches into an uptempo plea for better weather. Dare we say it's better than the original? We'd never claim that, but we low-key want to. We definitely prefer it to the Beach Boys' version, which we know is sacrilege but we're not sorry.

San Andreas -- a movie that involves Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, the state of California and a giant earthquake that renders the entire city of Los Angeles uninhabitable -- hits theaters on May 27, but you won't have to wait that long to hear Sia's full of "California Dreamin'." The movie's soundtrack is slated for a May 12 release.

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