Vetiver
Tight Knit

On first listen, the third album of original material from Andy Cabic fronted Americana group Vetiver is downright dull. It does little to live up to the "freak" of the freak-folk tag they earned with previous work (and by association with friend and collaborator Devendra Banhart), or indeed the "folk". It's more like a collection of banal acoustic alt-rock numbers that do their best to actively bore you into submission.

On repeated listens, however, these ten tracks do engrain themselves somewhat in the psyche. There's very little by the way of actual tunes here, rather repeated hooks and simplistic vocals, but the charm is in the details. Through recurrence and layered subtleties, Tight Knit succeeds in creating a dreamy ambience equipped to fill summer meadows with a meditative haze.

Thankfully, the end of the album drags itself out of its agreeable acoustic mediocrity. The sheer change of direction brought on by the bluesy horns and driving bassline of "Another Reason To Go" make it a standout track, while the psychedelic brawl of Strictly Rule exudes images of long haired hippies. It's all very nice, it's all very pleasant, it's unlikely Tight Knit has the capacity to offend anyone, which is what makes it decidedly average.

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