When you listen to Vetiver’s latest record, Up On High, you truly feel like you’ve come home.
Andy Cabic may have formed Vetiver some 17 years ago, but this album proves that his talents haven’t aged a bit. Every song here hits the mark and hits it perfectly.
Without question, Up On High is a showcase of Cabic’s songwriting skills. Each song is a perfectly formed pearl, with tight, confessional lyrics and hooks and melodies that simply stir the soul. Take for example “To Who Knows Where”. Through sunny fingerpicking and a sweet catchy rhythm, Cabic lays out how he must leave home to provide for the life that he shares with his lover, and not because he has a lack of care for them. This is a tune that’ll stay in your head all day, and is easily relatable to anyone who has a partner that often lives out of a suitcase for work.
The songs here are arranged rather simply, usually being limited to just a few instruments. This helps make the heart of each tune—Cabic’s acoustic picking and relaxed vocals—stand out and shine as brightly as they deserve. Cabic’s voice is as breezy and smooth as ever, making his already personal lyrics glow with a warm sincerity. However it must be said that the pedal steel guitar on this record (provided by Tim Ramsey) is the perfect complimentary sound to Cabic’s playing. In fact, Ramsey’s blanketing slide work is so crucial to the vibe of this record, that it almost needs co-billing on the album cover.
All in all, the record is rich with a welcoming presence that greets you and pulls you in right away like a close friend you haven’t seen in years. There’s always been a great deal of compassion and soul in Cabic’s writing, but these 10 songs are on a whole other level.
You can grab this record from Mama Bird Recording Co. today.
-KH
Record Crates United 