Bare acoustic
Bon Jovi does it every Christmas, Alanis Morrisette returns to the fold soon with a forthcoming version of her debut: 'Jagged Little Pill.' Acoustic versions of popular records are in fashion. However, it is somewhat disconcerting that the public are expected to have already bought, appreciated and experienced the original versions of the songs contained on 'The Acoustic EP'. Three songs from the electric version of this record do not appear on the acoustic cousin and two songs on the acoustic cousin do not appear on the electric version of this CD. 'All We Ever Need' and 'Make It Happen' are both fish out of water on the CD having not previously been released. 'Ever So Sweet' is glum rock with guitar strings- a male vocalist wails about the unfairness of everything. 'All We Ever Needed' rescues the CD with a mellow reflection fitting with the preference for guitars and lyrics; no longer one man wailing against the world. 'All We Ever Needed' gets to the soft heart of the lyrics and forges an emotional connection between listener and singer.'Come Back' is lyrically bittersweet and at times the sense of loss and regret is amplified by the simplicity of the guitar and the words.
The unique softness of the rhythms and the riffs combined hides a sense of urgency and some of the songs on this CD can take on the form of an intense ballad just when you least expect them to. This quaint little package from The Early November provides a richly detailed introduction to the band and will delight fans that have already bought the T-Shirt and signed up for tour tickets. A gem of a record disguised in simplicity.