Vetiver – Self-Titled / 2004 DiCristina / 11 Tracks / Reviewed 19 September 2004

Coming out with the same style of old style-indie rock that Devendra Banheart made so profitable on eir’s last album, the 1920’s and 30’s sounding Vetiver will appeal to all those aging hipsters who went nuts over the shlockfest that was O Brother, Where Art Thou?. Obviously, the similarity in sound is probably due to the fact that Devendra is one major component of the act, doing the guitar/vocals that made him so much bank on eir’s last album. To their credit, Vetiver uses some very experimental time signatures and arrangements to construct a sound that is unmistakably theirs. The dreamy pop of a track like “Farther On” will burn up the independent radio stations; the vocals on a track like that recall the best of Rufus Wainwright and The Flaming Lips, with the back-up vocals providing some easily-sang along vocals (like Sgt. Pepper’s era-Beatles).

Opening up “Amour Fou” with a driving bass line laid down by Craig Koozer, Vetiver immediately falls into the collective-singing style of previous track that pulls more of the American-rocker (Iggy Pop, Lou Reed( vibe than was noticed in previous tracks. The follow up to “Amour Fou”, “Los Pajaros del Rio” is a much more sedate track than much of the fare on this disc, but it is strengthened by a very emotive violin line provided by Jim Gaylord. Transcending the normal limitation of the guitar, “Amerilie” uses it as a much darker opposite to the flittering harp employed by Joanna Newsom. Jim’s amazing work on the violin intertwines itself with Andy’s banjo during “Arboretum”, just as Hope Sandoval’s vocals on “Angels’ Share” match extraordinarily well with the male presence on that track.

Each song on this self-titled disc finds itself following a general blueprint that the act laid down in the earliest moments of the CD. None of the tracks seems hackneyed or rote, though, but provides a number of variations on a theme. The guitar work on the penultimate track “Belles” is the high point on the disc; the dis-harmony of the guitar line is laid next to a very melodious guitar line. However, it is the longest track on the disc, the final track, the droning violins of “On a Nerve” that are most affecting on this disc. The repetition of the guitar lines just illuminate the aforementioned violin, and the dreamy vocals present are divergent from the rough sound of the rest of the instruments.

Top Tracks: Oh Papa, Belles

Rating: 5.8/10