The recent swell of interest in “Americana” music has proven to be a really interesting and exciting development within the context of pop music because it has signaled a shift in values. Once again, the vacuous nature of the North American Top 40 pop tart has fallen from favor, and interest in well-written songs has returned renewed as bands including The Avett Brothers, The Felice Brothers, Mumford & Sons and Dawes have all broken through. That trend is heartening, but the release of Vetiver's new album, The Errant Charm, hints that the artistic progression of the music still has further to go before it rests; this album hints that singer-songwriter-ly craft has begun filtering into pop again (largely because most of the record embodies it), now combined with fresh, new sounds to excite a new audience.
From the moment “It's Beyond Me” fades in to open The Errant Charm, listeners will be treated to a fantastic amalgam of “old world” values and “new world” sonics as apparitions of Paul Simon, James Taylor and Tim Buckley converge with production treatments more regularly found in the softer side of new rock. Here, singer Andy Cabic, guitarist Daniel Hindman, bassist Bob Parins and drummer Otto Hauser introduce themselves with a soft blanket of folk and texture that is instantly comfortable; capable of soothing minds and warming hearts. Intangible flashes of coming home and modest joy and new beginnings manifest immediately as “It's Beyond Me” opens and, while they are vague and hazy, they're also tempting, attractive and impossible to turn away from.
With the spell set, Vetiver makes sure not to break it as they keep the comfort levels high through The Errant Charm. There are no jarring sounds or shocking developments here, only sweetness and candor coupled with ethereal instrumental performances which sound like they were designed specifically to let a listener's mind run away with them. Songs like “Worse For Wear,” “Hard To Break,” “Wonder Why” and “Faint Praise” all live heartfelt sentiments alongside deep and lush sounds that envelope listeners warmly rather than wowing them. Some listeners (those who like some fireworks with their emotional outpourings) may be put off by the fact that the tone of the record is so even and smooth, but that's almost to be expected; after all, a record so sane, well-adjusted and easy to like is a rarity in the current “big bang” and/or “shock and dazzle” pop market. With that rationale in mind, The Errant Charm brings forth an interesting question: with Americana doing well right now and singer-songwriters getting notice again, might Vetiver be the frontrunner of a new breed of musicians that favors a “simple need to articulate” above all else? Only time will tell, but it should be an interesting development to watch.
Artist:
www.vetiverse.com/
www.myspace.com/vetiverse
www.facebook.com/pages/Vetiver-Indie-Rock/
twitter.com/vetiverse
Album:
The Errant Charm is out now. Buy it here on Amazon .
