A refreshing next step in the ever prevalent neo-folk scene
Aquarius Records | San Francisco | 06/04/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Oh Man! I haven't been able to stop playing this record from local San Francisco folk heroes Vetiver since the day it arrived. I knew it would be good but I'm really surprised at how amazing and fresh it sounds given the tidal wave resurgence of the neo-folk movement that Devendra Banhart and Vetiver front-man Andy Cabic have spawned in the last few years (check out the Devendra-curated Golden Apples of the Sun compilation to see what I mean). To be honest, the neo-folk scene has become a bit over-saturated as of late. Not that I don't enjoy the music, but there are so many folk acts nowadays that it's become almost too overwhelming to keep up.
So the stakes have been raised quite a bit since Vetiver's quiet self-titled debut, as the past couple of year's have seen Cabic, out on the road touring not only with Vetiver but also as part of Devendra's touring band, starting record label Gnomonsong with Banhart (which released the debut Feathers cd), and garnering a huge amount of praise, attention and expectation. It seems the months on the road have been very good to Vetiver as recent homecoming shows at 12 Galaxies and the Great American have shown, delighting packed audiences and winning new converts who may have overlooked their fine debut. No more playing tiny intimate shows at Adobe Books, a little sad to say, but really, I am very happy for them. To Find Me Gone is more rock-oriented than its predecessor, as the band has evolved from an acoustic guitar, violin, cello trio to include a full time rhythm section (including Otto Hauser from Espers on drums, and Kevin Barker from Currituck Co. and Noah Georgeson on guitars) with spectacularly rich results.
Unlike their debut, where the strong songwriting and performances were a bit overshadowed by the heavyweight guest appearances from Hope Sandoval, Colm O'Ciosoig and Joanna Newsom (it also came across in some press as a Devendra side project), Cabic comes fully into his own here, showcasing a sublime quality of world-weariness hewn from months on the road. It's exciting, after hearing their debut, which was years in the making, to not find the usual sophomore slump, but instead witness such naturally self-assured songwriting and arrangements. Opener, "Been So Long (Gb Fade)", a song first heard in a more acoustic arrangement on the Between EP, begins with a raga drone that spaciously opens up into fantastic sighing choral harmonies. In fact there is a subliminal pulsation to the whole album that really brings out Cabic's sweet vocals but also keeps them centrally present as the country tinged ambience of flutes and cellos (played with grace and restraint by Vetiver veteran, Alissa Anderson) swells and swirls around him. Country shuffler, "Won't Be Me" sounds like Yo La Tengo in a rare pop Americana moment while the sudden electric surge on "Red Lantern Girls" is pure shoegazer country-stomp acid folk. The closer "Down at El Rio" co-written with Devendra is so nostalgic and sad, a gorgeous gorgeous song.
A long time record collector, and stellar DJ, Cabic mines his influences well. Less "freak-folk" than his friends and contemporaries, Cabic instead follows the compositional path of 70's singer-songwriters like J.J. Cale, Emitt Rhodes and John Phillips. It's a refreshing next step in the ever prevalent neo-folk scene. Beautiful and so totally recommended!"
Acid folk rock music raises its foggy head revisited
W. T. Hoffman | Pennsylvania, United States | 10/06/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you have been following the VETIVER story arc, then you know that on THE FIRST CD, all the great names in the present psychedelic folk rock scene, were gathered and had a little rainbow party (or so it sounds) in the recording. Names like Hope Sandoval (Read:MAZZY STAR), Devendra Banhart (The darling of the freak folk movement), Joanna Newsom (The harp player, and childlike singer, who's last album YS was declaired a masterpiece by many...not me, but many others I suppose), and a host of others. Seriously, this is a band that has PEDIGREE. However, i didnt fall into this band, thru the first album, i started here, on the second CD. The first song has this cool drone running thru it, and it sounds very eastern, then its followed by the next song with a strong beat, that if nothing reminded me of late period MGM songs by the Velvet Underground. Then, the CD reaches its stride, in songs like NO ONE WORD, with its minimal guitar picking and smokey female vocals, and the beautiful DOUBLE, that reminds one of work by SIA (the singer from ZERO7). This song has much of a electronica sound happening in the production, which helps to break up the sound of the album in a nice way, to keep the audio picture constantly fresh and easy on the ear, without becoming easy listening. The album has wonderful walzes in it, which again seems to be a touchstone with all these new freakfolk musicians, even tho the FOLK part of the movement seems to be falling away, as we watch the new albums by IRON AND WINE, and DEVENDRA BANHART, etc, become more and more rock orienated. (As has Decemberists as well).
I dont know why, but this album really gives me a great sense of hope. Its been 40 years since the infamous SUMMER OF LOVE, and i never thought there would be another psychedelic revival of beauty in music, and meaningful lyrics, with complex and thoughtful musicianship, but here it is, thanks to the ACID group mind of San Fransesco. (or human talent and musical progress). The album in a whole, has enough going on, that you can play it over and over, and not get bored at all. In fact, its the kind of album that sort of leads you into another world of music. From here, its so easy to find the BANHART music, IRON AND WINE, ESPERS, NICK CASTRO, SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE, and maybe Sufjan Stevens too. All these groups, are California bands, except for Sufjan Stevens, and Espers, which is a Philly band. I do think that a community that is this rich, seems to produce something greater than its parts. I dont know if San Franscesco is going to be the new SEATTLE, or ATHENS GEORGIA, or LIVERPOOL ENGLAND, or....San Fransesco 1967, when the Airplane, the Dead, the Moby Grape, Big Brother and Janis Joplin, Country Joe, Quicksilver, Steve Miller, Santana, CCR, and Its a Beautiful Day, showed people what a community of like minded spirits can do, when they work together, and have a common vibe of hope and beauty. So, if that kind of idealism, and forward looking musical forms and lyrics, with backward looking hippie traditions, is attractive to you, I would think that this would be a cool album to buy. Since different people are singing on different songs, you wont find the problem that you might find with some folk singers, when the voice might get "on your nerves" (technically, this has been diagnosed as AURAL DYLANITIS.) SO rush right out to your closest AMAZON.COM seller, and buy it today. AS the Jefferson Airplane once said, "LOOK WHATS HAPPENING OUT ON THE STREET, GOT A REVOLUTION GOT A REVOLUTION." And we need all the positive change we can get right now. PEACE BROTHERS AND SISTERS"
Best record yet
alexander laurence | Los Angeles, CA | 05/26/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"
I have been a fan of this band for a while. I saw some of their early shows in San Francisco three years ago or more. Their first was cool but had too many all-star musicians on it. Was this a real band or just another sort of This Mortal Coil? I saw them again earlier this year, and it dispelled for me that this was a Devendra Banhart side project. Vetiver leader Andy Cabic has been touring with Banhart for a few years now. But seems to have found some original footing with "Been So Long" and "You May Be Blue." This is sort of like Cabic's All Things Must Pass. This album did come out a while ago. Unfortunately I left it in a rental car. It took me three months to get it back. I have been impressed with the new Vetiver. The early version was still limited in many ways. But this full version is definitely somewhere between George Harrison and the Grateful Dead. It's a swell journey."
