ERIC BACHMANN
To The Races
Saddle Creek
· Many reviews of Eric Bachmann’s solo albums reference Neil Diamond. This one is no different.
He may have gotten his start as the front man for Archers of Loaf, but between Barry Black, Crooked Fingers and his self-titled solo efforts, Eric Bachmann has truly come out of the indie-rock shadow of his old band. On To the Races Bachmann strips down the arrangements, focusing on his voice and lyrics. In fact, though Bachmann’s voice still sounds like Neil Diamond, this release plays more like a homage to Nick Drake. With hand-plucked acoustic guitar and grave solemnity, these 10 tracks, while lovely, don’t pack the upbeat punch that his recent work with Crooked Fingers did. However, Bachmann makes the sparseness work. With minimal strings, bluesy progressions and some lilting backups, To the Races offers an intimacy that few can match. It’s a heartfelt and earnest little record that shows off another brilliant face of an already impressive artist.
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