The Far West – Everything We Thought We Wanted
This is an L.A.-based Americana band somewhere outside the margins of groups such as Poco, West, Seatrain, the James Gang, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, & the Bo Deans—quite a creative mashup. The guitars sparkle throughout this album & the vocals are varied enough to keep things interesting. The themes encompass hope, heartbreak, survival, & memories, all shuffled through the genres of roots music, a blend of country with ‘70s rock traditions.
There are 12 things in their 3rd collection, Everything We Thought We Wanted (Drops Sept 26/Blackbird Record Label/39:59), produced by Far West. Their songwriting is heartfelt; their playing pristine despite some studio gimmickry they fall victim to (as many do). “A Soft Place To Land” is a gorgeous melody sung with lots of sincerity, haunting instrumentation & good lyrics. However, the echo applied to the vocals diminishes the warmth the song possesses. The words should be mixed close-up as if the singer were whispering in each listener’s ear, intimately. Other than that, it’s a superb tune.
Fortunately, the band doesn’t venture into novelty-oriented areas with silliness or become too lush to fill the spaces with songs with no legs. The addition of horns to “Meet Me Where We Parted Last” is invigorating. Not as bombastic as some of the horns the Rolling Stones are accustomed to adding to their repertoire. This is a nice touch.
A Del Lords salute slides into home base with “Happy Now.” A rockier vocal, similar to Rank & File’s approaches, if not Aztec Two-Step. Nice, spirited voice with lots of rural swing. The Heartland Rock instrumentation is at its finest & these guys are from California. Not everything is compelling or engrossing. There are moments when just the addition of a female backup vocalist (“For the Birds”) provides the necessary value added to an average song with rural soulfulness. The same applies to the sprightly upbeat “In Your Own Time,” another average tune that has a strong sense of freshness. The musicians’ interplay & the vocals purr along with no showboating. More in the tradition of the Goose Creek Symphony days (“Do Your Thing But Don’t Touch Mine”).
There’s lots of good music to be discovered on “Everything We Thought We Wanted,” & Far West understands how to keep things varied.
Highlights – “See For Yourself,” “A Soft Place To Land,” “Meet Me Where We Parted Last,” “Happy Now,” “For the Birds,” “In Your Own Time,” & “Miss Me Too.”
Musicians – Brian Bachman (drums/acoustic guitar/bgv), Aaron Bakker (lead, slide & acoustic guitars/mellotron/bgv), Robert Black (upright & electric bass/bgv), Lee Briante (rhythm guitar/harmonica/vocals), Michael Whiteside (piano/organ/bgv) with Dave Alvin (lead guitar), Katie Scratton (vocals), Nic Chaffee (horns), Jerry Bonge (piano/organ), Jeffrey Howell (piano), Tyler Whiteside & Andrew Smith (drums), & the Hollywood Horns. Miscellaneous banjo, accordion, & keyboards by The Far West.
Color image courtesy of the band’s website gallery. CD @ https://www.thefarwestofficial.com/ & https://www.thefarwestofficial.com/store/the-far-west-everything-we-thought-we-wanted-vinyl-pre-order
