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Thing of the Past
Description
Thing of the Past stands as Vetiver's third studio effort from 2008, a twelve-track collection released by Gnomonsong in the United States and FatCat Records in the United Kingdom. The album represents Andy Cabic and his bandmates embracing a deliberate return to folk roots, curating a selection of cover versions that demonstrate Cabic's songcraft rather than his signature psychedelic folk-rock of previous outings.
According to AllMusic, the project positions Vetiver as a band that "has done exactly that with Thing of the Past," prioritizing acoustic textures and traditional song structures over the studio experimentation that defined their earlier work. The album's restraint speaks to Cabic's confidence; he's no longer needing to stretch into new territories, but rather distilling the timeless quality of classic folk into his own idiosyncratic style. Critics noted the band had long been accused of wearing their influences on their sleeves, yet here they embrace that reputation with genuine reverence.
What remains somewhat mysterious about the record is how closely it adheres to Cabic's broader folk aesthetic, as the band largely abandoned their previous psychedelic freakiness for straightforward folk architecture. The cover selections demonstrate Cabic's deep well of influences while maintaining the intimate, acoustic sensibility that has defined Vetiver since their debut. By 2008, the band had already released their second album, to Find Me Gone, and had established themselves as a cult favorite in the American alternative folk scene.
Following Thing of the Past, the group would release additional material, including Up on High later that year, continuing their evolution through various incarnations and lineups. The album remains a testament to Cabic's enduring commitment to folk forms, proving that sometimes the greatest artistic statement lies in what you choose to reinterpret rather than what you create from scratch.
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