On September 7, Eric Bachmann (Archers of Loaf/Crooked Fingers) returns with No Recover, an album that is both harrowing and beautiful, and whose mellowness can be deceiving.
The drunken louts and red devil dawns are a thing of the past now, monuments to a different time. Bachmann, husband and recent father, has some new lenses through which to view the world. But while No Recover is decidedly mellow and reflective, do not mistake it for the work of a relaxed, satisfied songwriter, sitting on some Georgia porch with a stalk of wheat between his lips, gently rocking a cradle with his foot and whistling an old tune.
No, the Eric Bachmann of 2018 seems to view life with a sort of disgruntled maturity and righteous resignation. The album is mostly just him, a classical guitar, some treated rhythm tracks, and otherworldly drop-ins from singer Avery Leigh Draut and guitarist Eric Johnson, Bachmann’s old pal from their Archers of Loaf days. He’s got a lot on his mind, only some of it pretty.
Eric Bachmann’s got a lifetime of experience behind him, and a catalog that runs the gamut from fiery to scary to simply beautiful, sometimes all at once. But No Recover also feels like a new beginning. Here’s to another 25 (or more!) years of watching him grow.
