The title tells the story on this EP -- here former
Jayhawks leader
Gary Louris performs six songs from his solo debut
Vagabonds, accompanied only by his acoustic guitar. These solo performances don't bring much that's new to these songs, but given how good
Louris' songwriting was on
Vagabonds, that's no insult; accompanied by a full band, they were compelling stuff, and
Louris makes them work nearly as well with just his voice and a six-string. The emotional intimacy of "We'll Get By," "To Die a Happy Man," and "She Only Calls Me on Sunday" suits the spare interpretations on this EP just fine, and while these tracks often sound as if they're little more than demos, they're good demos of very good songs, and
Louris' strength as a vocalist truly shines on this disc.
Acoustic Vagabonds is a casual but pleasing set that will certainly satisfy anyone who has a taste for
Louris' music, though they ought to give
Vagabonds a spin before moving on to this supplement. ~ Mark Deming