I the Mighty
Oil in Water EP
(Equal Vision)
Acoustic or “reworked” albums are usually a hit and miss proposition, and it’s typically because they force the songs to be laid bare; you find out rather quickly if the songs were actually good, or if there was enough studio magic to cover up a lack of songwriting talent. Fortunately for I the Mighty, they do not have that problem. I loved their most recent record, Connector, so it’s no surprise that Oil in Water, a 5-song EP of re-worked tunes is (mostly) a winner.
Instead of going the typical acoustic route, these five songs shows the band rearranging the original tunes into new musical styles: jazz, bluegrass, electronic, and acapella. What is surprising is what works best and what doesn’t. The verses in “The Lying Eyes of Miss Erray” are downright seductive, which makes the jarring sonic shift in the chorus so disappointing. Elsewhere, “Slow Dancing Forever” is a bit disappointing as a straight acoustic number. On the other hand, the other three tracks are excellent. “Playing Catch with .22” is actually reminiscence of early Jars of Clay in its soulful bluegrass. “Andrew’s Song” is really neat as an acapella number. However, it’s “The Hound and the Fox” as a big band ditty that shines. The bombastic story at the song’s heart is the perfect match for the huge reworked song. It’s the rare remix that is actually better than its original.
Overall, while it has a couple less than stellar moments, Oil in Water is a great collection of reworked tunes that were all great initially. It’s probably not essential for everyone, but if you enjoyed Connector, this neat EP will showcase that I the Mighty’s talents are quite wide-reaching.
Purchase Oil in Water on iTunes.
