Vetiver

VETIVER

The "freak folk" genre is a misleading categorization when it comes to Vetiver: Although the group is certainly at home in the music scene most commonly associated with Devendra Banhart, there's nothing particularly "freaky" about its brand of folk. The group's fourth CD, "Tight Knit," is full of lilting, mid-tempo folk songs that owe as much to the underground folk of the 1970s as to Banhart's more contemporary spin.

The album conveys a dreaminess with a mellow, lulling sound that is instantly likable. From the plucked guitar and crooning vocals of the opening track, "Rolling Sea," to the wistful, underwater sound of "At Forest Edge," frontman Andy Cabic and his collaborators evoke a pleasant and relaxing tone. Even some surprising instrumentation choices, such as the funk-tinged horns on "Another Reason to Go," blend into the soothing mood.

-- Catherine P. Lewis, Weekend (Jan. 2010)