Vetiver – Thing of the Past

Thing of the Past – Vetiver

By Aidan Roberts

Andy Cabic, longtime friend and musical associate to Devendra Banhart, has a wonderful band called Vetiver. Having struck gold with their previous record, the wonderfully subtle and soulful To Find Me Gone, Cabic and friends have gone for an unusual move so early on in the catalogue – a covers album. This initially rang alarm bells for me, as I was slightly disappointed that Cabic’s potent songwriting would be absent for an entire record. But the genius here lies in the selection of the material, and the loving spirit with which it is shared with the audience. Taking a bunch of obscure, largely forgotten 60’s and 70’s folk rock tracks, this is thankfully free of overt nostalgic romanticism; it is like the band have lifted a lid on a chest of songs, digging right to the bottom of the barrell and giving these lesser-known songwriters and their tunes a new life by treating them with Vetiver’s own distinct vibrant expressionism, warm instrumentation and thick, earthy 1970’s Californian production ideals. Ronnie Lane’s Roll On Babe is a bittersweet highlight, as well as the Cathartic, swinging Hurry On Sundown. A tasteful, exciting record.

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