Customer Reviews

Off Track Betting

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Nels Andrews' debut album, 'Sunday Shoes' is chock-full of high quality song-writing and, in this respect, 'Off Track Betting' doesn't disappoint either - however, the album isn't quite business as usual. Nels possesses a husky low tenor (with traces of Jeffrey Foucault and Jay Farrar) - he isn't the most expressive of singers but, this time around, I think his vocals have slightly wider dynamics. The instrumental accompaniment on 'Sunday Shoes' is fairly conventional, but with 'Off Track Betting', Nels has swapped his backing band, The El Paso Eyepatch, for other musicians, many of whom have 'indie' and jazz backgrounds (although this album doesn't sound particularly 'jazzy'). There is some unusual instrumental accompaniment - notably ARP synthesizer and wine-glass orchestra; other instruments played are : electric guitar, piano, organ/pump organ, banjo and pedal steel, with rhythms provided by acoustic guitar, electric bass and drums/percussion; mellotron and harp are played on selected tracks. Also, many tracks feature splendid 'just beneath the surface' harmony vocals, and the production and mixing are first rate.

All songs are written by Nels, except 'Butterfly Wing' (written by Jon Dee Graham). 'Three Days' is the only up-tempo song and 'Sunday Shoes' comes close, the rest are all slow tempo - but this suits the reflective nature of the lyrics and the downbeat character of Nels' delivery. At face value, the lyrics deal with the temporal aspects of life, but the (perceived) use of symbolism suggests an underlying message of a more spiritual nature. This is enhanced by the range of instruments played and sound effects introduced, all lending the music an atmospheric quality - sometimes having a kind of oriental-transcendental feel.

Nels Andrews knows how to forge lyrically interesting songs - rich in imagery and devoid of clichés. His lyrics can be somewhat enigmatic - yet, in common with other songwriters such as Greg Brown and Jeffrey Foucault, they capture the imagination even though they can be difficult to explain at times; furthermore, they sometimes give the impression of a worldliness beyond his years, but they still manage to sound convincing. It can be a risky business using an array of instrumental/synthetic sound effects as a backdrop to high quality song-writing - the tendency being to detract from the songs themselves; but the layering isn't excessive and I think producer Todd Sickafoose has got the balance just about right - with things only becoming a little over-elaborate on 'Sunday Shoes'. I liked all of the songs, my favourites are 'Temple Incense', 'Three Days' 'Rented White Sedan', 'Shoot Out The Stars', and 'Dollar And The Dream'.

'Off Track Betting' is another lyrical tour de force from Nels Andrews, and it includes some interesting and unusual instrumental accompaniment also. This album and 'Sunday Shoes' are both highly recommended to fans of the Americana/singer-songwriter genre (providing you are not averse to a more downbeat style of vocal delivery).

Just a great album from start to finish. Hard to believe that this band doesn't is not better known. No holes, with the song "Three Days" my favorite. Great vocals and playing. Expect to hear more great stuff from these guys!!