Eric Bachmann
To the Races
(Saddle Creek)
This is Eric Bachmann’s best disc ever. That may seem like a far-reaching statement given his track record—a series of stellar, lo-fi indie rock albums as Archers of Loaf followed by an equally prolific output as Crooked Fingers—but this latest is something else. It oozes soul from every nook and cranny with its stark melancholia and uninhibited lyricism. Not that his previous work wasn’t as revealing, but To the Races really gets into your inner self on many levels, with an honest emotional exploration. For the already-a-fan crowd, or neophytes who appreciate poetic troubadours such as Richard Buckner or Bruce Springsteen, this disc’s a must.
—Dave Hayden
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.
