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Albums that are comprised entirely of cover songs can go either way. Some may see them as a complete holding pattern, where the artist attempts to write enough original material for the next release. And others honor those albums as an inspired peak inside someone’s inspirations. Both are valid views, so it usually comes down to how much you care about the person’s music whether the covers collection is something to cherish or not. Vetiver is an inventive aggregation led by Andy Cabic, who also plays with Devendra Banhart, and the kind of band that veers across the musical map of the past 40 years with a highly-selective spirit, finding gems where others don’t often look. Here are a few past Vetiver favorites: Norman Greenbaum, Biff Rose, Elyse Weinberg, Michael Hurley, Loudon Wainwright III, Ian Matthews, Townes Van Zandt and a handful of others. Everything is played low key, keeping the emotions right out front, which fortunately gives the songs all the room to shine. There are some stellar choices, too, which point to a killer record collection lurking in someone’s house, the kind where you can smell the old cardboard LP jackets when you first walk in the door. Cabic’s voice, along with some of his guests, never tries to do more than it can, and he’s sharp enough to rearrange the songs to fit his strengths instead of playing to the original versions. The Band had their Moondog Matinee and Elvis Costello had his Kojak Variety. Vetiver, while not in that league, shine just fine on Thing Of The Past, proving history is a trusted friend in the right hands. The album closer, Bobby Charles’ “I Must Be in a Good Place Now,” says it all.
