American Hi-Fi formed back in 1998 and, line-up changes aside, are still going almost twenty years later. They may not be the household name they once were, but their core following is still there and with five previous albums they’ve got a decent back catalogue to revisit. However rather than simply changing the artwork or tagging a couple of rough demos onto the end, they’ve decided to re-record the entirety of their self-titled 2001 debut as an acoustic album. It’s a brave choice as it goes well beyond the sole acoustic offering that bands often squeeze into otherwise fully amplified albums. It’s a potentially exciting decision as it has the chance to show the songs in a completely different light as well as letting American Hi-Fi push the boundaries of their pop-rock sound more than they have previously.
For a lot of people, hearing ‘Flavour Of The Weak’ on the American Pie 2 soundtrack was their introduction to the band and you could argue that American Hi-Fi haven’t written anything to match it since. However, it’s just one of a number of songs that have stuck too close to their original structure, and in this case it’s a missed chance for a brave re-invention of their most popular song. You can guess what it will sound like before even hearing it, and being near the top of the track-listing it doesn’t give a particularly great or true idea of what to expect.
It’s actually the more low key efforts like ‘Scar’ that impress the most. ‘A Bigger Mood’ takes on a more fragile and bruised quality when stripped back to the level it is here, and it’s an excellent re-imagining. ‘Safer On The Outside’ also works really well with its lyrics laid bare, and the simple percussion supports Stacy Jones’ vocals rather than smothering them. The appearance of Kay Hanley as guest vocalist on ‘Another Perfect Day’ is a real highlight, as the vocal harmonies give the song a dynamism that is missing from songs such as the weirdly twee ‘I’m A Fool’ or the misguided country twang of ‘Blue Day’.
Fans of any singer or band are always eager for new material, and leaning too heavily on your past can be risky as followers become alienated by what they see as a lack of new ideas or effort. American Hi-Fi’s last album, ‘Blood And Lemonade’, came out in 2014 but passed under the radar of many and in light of any new material, this is the best that fans can expect. Whilst ‘American Hi-Fi Acoustic’ will satisfy those who have always wondered how the songs would have sounded stripped back, to the devoted it’s only a half-grasped opportunity at best and to everyone else it’s likely to be even less.
CHRIS HILSON