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The Giving Tree Band’s fifth studio release, Vacilador, blissfully honors Americana, and in light of that begs a question.
Is it the responsibility of musicians to expand upon the soundscape that they emulate and tread new ground? Naturally, musicians take from the styles and artists that influence them, and of course it shouldn’t be required or expected of every musician to expand as time progresses.
Yet, The Giving Tree Band’s Vacilador still runs the risk of being another album among myriad bluegrass/folk/Americana acts that have bubbled up from the wake of the ’60s and ’70s. However, failing to recognize the great songwriting, and dedication to the music of the past is a mistake.
Vacilador kicks off with “Cold Cold Rain,” a wild cowboy tune that bursts with bluegrass goodness, and that energy rides throughout the album’s entirety.
What this album lacks in innovation or originality, it makes up for with that lively energy.
Jam-based sections, such as “Silent Man,” which burst with guitar and piano solos, popping up amidst the clean, country rock, sound like they were plucked straight from the live catalog of the Grateful Dead. An even more obvious nod to the Grateful Dead’s influence is the powerful cover of “Brown Eyed Women,” which The Giving Tree Band gives a fresh spin.
Much of the album is blended with a swelling Hammond B3 organ that gives Vacilador a sound akin to Bob Dylans’ work. “Miss You Now” and “I Can’t Stay” are great examples of that Dylan-esque organ, and the calm picking on the acoustic guitar in these two pay homage as well.
Despite the obvious inspiration, “Miss You Now” is a well-executed love song that The Giving Tree Band has made all its own. With a quaint simplicity, vocalist Eric Fink beckons for the return of an old lover who wanted to “break free, like a fruit from the tree”.
The Giving Tree Band has also been drawing comparisons to The Band with its knack for solid writing and folk/bluegrass tinged rock and roll. But that Americana feel takes the back burner for a few bluegrass/country tunes like “Quiet Star,” and “Ragweed Rose.” These songs would make Neil Young proud and deserve to be sung beneath the night sky of Appalachia.
“Limbo” is a cheerful tune with small cameos of silly whistles, and glockenspiels similar to the Fab Four. The latter half of the song has some very distinct allusions (it comes close to “A Day in the Life” at times), and the lyrics “Do you know my eyes exhale love, as easy as a flower” wouldn’t be out of place in any of The Beatles’ work.
The highlight of the album is “River King.” It starts off with almost hip-hop sounding drums and a little jam on the standup bass. A bluesy guitar and violin brings the song into a jovial country tune that rides through the end. Tracks like “River King” give Vacilador the feel of a summer afternoon along a riverside in good company.
The Giving Tree Band takes the sound of its influences to heart and applies them well to Vacilador. However, the band doesn’t carve out a niche all to itself, leaving one with the desire for something inventive and pioneering. Yet, each song on Vacilador is a tight package, and the album as a whole works well. Perhaps this a testament to tried and true musical styling of the past.
The Giving Tree Band – VaciladorTracklist:
- “Cold Cold Rain”
- “Higher Than The Levee”
- “Brown Eyed Woman”
- “Miss You Now”
- “Dead Heroes”
- “Silent Man”
- “Quiet Star”
- “Once or Twice Before”
- “Limbo”
- “Ragweed Rose”
- “I Can’t Stay”
- “River King
- “Forgiveness and Permission”
- “Thief”
