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

“The guys at Rude Records asked us if we would be interested in doing an acoustic version of our first album. We said “No”. Haha. Then we thought about it for a minute and decided it sounded fun,” vocalist Stacy Jones explains.

“It was most definitely a challenge. Translating big guitar, riffy rock music to an acoustic form can be difficult. Part of the reason we agreed to do it is that we like to be tested. This record, being our first, was obviously a pivotal and important time for us, both as a band and personally. It was fun to relive some of those erstwhile emotions as we re-recorded the album. We set up at Sunset Sound and recorded most of the album live with minimal overdubs. Some of the songs retain their original arrangement, while others took on a new life.”

Due on the 29th April, the album will arrive exactly 364 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds after the original release. It even features Kay Hanley of Letters to Cleo on the reworked ‘Another Perfect Day’.

It is available to pre-order now in physical and digital formats.

Check out ‘Allison’ from the album below.