Vetiver - Thing Of The Past [Fat Cat Records - 2008]Cover records are dedidedly hit ‘n’ miss & mostly wholly inconsistent affairs that often offer up one or two jewels, but Thing of the past bucks this trend to give a rewarding, warming and highly re-playable album which as the title suggests is hazed and nestled in a comfy and harmonic analogue age past. The tracks are selected perfectly for the albums arch and unfold of mellow glory bringing together a mix of 70’s and 60s rock, folk and pop tunes. With most of the tracks been unfamiliar to myself too, so I’m not constantly comparing them to the originals, but even the tracks I have vague memories of are coated with the bands own lovely homed, honesty,charming sonic identity. It really does send me back my childhood in the 70’s when life was carefree, bill-less and joyful, nothing is ever forced or contrived retro here it just strolls & sometimes skip along its mellowed sunny vibe. Using a mix of eclectic and acoustic guitars, drums’ ‘n’ Bass, banjo, retro keyboards and even trumpet on one track.With vocals that fall into a mellow pop/rock/ folk groove with some fine and lifting harmonies. All honey coated in a down to earth analogue and rich production . A great comfy old armchair of a record that keeps calling me back again and again, with an unassuming, carefree and trend-free honest air this is one of the greatest cover album I can recall and one of the highlights of this year Roger Batty
|