To a Friend

The gritty warmth of Mike Ferrio's voice is Tandy's greatest strength, and the best thing about the band's 2005 release, To a Friend, is how well his songs and his band mesh with his instrument. Initially released in a limited edition of only 500 copies, To a Friend sounds surprisingly ambitious and well-crafted despite its low budget and small circulation; the interplay between Ferrio's guitar work, Drew Glackin's skillful electric and steel guitars, and Bruce Martin's deft percussion and keyboards is rich and evocative, making the most of their dynamics, and both the languid "Desire" and the full-bodied "Superette" benefit from their sure touch. While in many respects Ferrio's lyrics follow the standard poetic conceits of the Jay Farrar school of alt country songwriting, there's little arguing that he's learned his lessons well, and his songs communicate with a gentle strength while the melodies are simple but beautifully eloquent. The production by Ferrio, Martin, and Merle Chornuk is admirably straightforward, layering the instruments while allowing them their individual space, and To a Friend is an album that plays to the virtues of a gifted but underappreciated band; it's one of their strongest and most satisfying releases to date.