Acoustic Vagabonds

It’s a matter of preference. Here are six songs from Gary Louris’ solo debut Vagabonds presented without any full-band flourishes, just Louris’ voice and acoustic guitar. The added intimacy either draws you into these well-sculpted tunes or, if you’re a band person, makes you miss the superb chemistry of his backing players. For those who enjoy hearing demos, skeletal arrangements and studying the writer’s process, Acoustic Vagabonds is a welcome addition to the catalog of one of alt-country’s most deserving stars. The former Jayhawk has been called upon by other singer-songwriters to help bring out their best and here on his lonesome, Louris is free to sing his songs with all the passion he can muster without worrying about bumping into a keyboard or screwing up the time signature. So the forlorn fate of “We’ll Get By” and “She Only Calls Me On Sundays” seem even more desperate or sad. His gentle picking frames the songs simply and point out that a small club evening with Mr. Louris would be just as satisfying as seeing him with a full band accompaniment.