Andy Cabic’s sixth album is a bit of a mixed bag
Easy Sound
Released: 31.7.15
More information on Vetiver’s official website
As Vetiver, Andy Cabic has been touting melodic, wistful folk rock and alt. Americana for over a decade. For his sixth album Complete Strangers, he attempts to break out of this sound, but with somewhat mixed results. On stronger songs like engaging, slow-blossoming opener Stranger Still, he hits on the glossy avant-MOR that A Mountain Of One touted to such effect, but all too often the album ends up somewhat adrift, sounding perfectly pleasant but with little to really grab hold off (tracks like Shadows Line and the by-numbers Byrds-isms of Loose Ends stand out as the most notable offenders). There’s enough here to demonstrate Cabic’s talent, but instead of a bold reinvention, Complete Strangers ends up as more of a confused shrug.