Review Summary: A more enjoyable and fun version of its predecessor, which adds some flare in exchange for the small amounts of grit "Solaris" had.
An acoustic album rarely adds too much more to whatever album it turned acoustic. The more stripped down approach can, at times, be used wonderfully to add more atmosphere and emotion to a song. However, it can also be prone to take away whatever emphatic feeling a song ever had. Elliot Minor's "Solaris Acoustic" fits that description almost perfectly.
The minimal style not only works better in contrast to "Solaris", but the execution doesn't sound as rushed either. The album starts with a fade in with the 'The Dancer', which was one of the best songs from the original with a build up that reaches a very satisfying climax. The acoustic version follows the same vein but with a more atmospheric touch accompanied with an icy sounding piano for the first half before unleashing it's rich acoustic guitars with layered harmonies and a more driven piano performance. The result ends up being a very pleasant experience that is similar, yet different to the original. A huge addition that the stripped down approach brings is the more intense focus on harmonies. The harmonies run throughout almost every song but feel more thought out and are exemplified to good use in songs such as "Electric High" and the title track. Sounding almost alien to the originals, the acoustic versions bring in much more sonically. Both being very reverb heavy and focussing on textures, whilst still being as catchy. Voices from frontman Alex Davies and Ed Minton compliment each other perfectly in the lush harmonies and layers such as the ending of "Solaris". Both songs emulate and exceed anything and everything the original had to offer.
The downfall of this album is that several songs don't end up adding anything new to the palette that 'Solaris' had to offer. 'Better Than The Court Room' for instance ends up sounding like a lazy cover version of the original without anything different or innovative added into it. "All Along" follows the exact same pattern, only with an extra part near the end that sounds like a whining child and is an instantly forgettable moment. As a result, it lack any further creativity that the original had. The 13th track, "Blinding Light" is by far the worst on the album and is a perfect example of another issue with the album as a whole. On the track, the vocals are in desperate need of passion and whole thing ends up collapsing under its own dullness. Sadly, many tracks are also guilty of this, which makes listening to the whole thing a chore after a while.
However, that doesn't take away the interesting parts and they're certainly worth giving a listen for. The album overall can drag on at times. It still ends up being as catchy as the original but a mile better and more satisfying. It's just a shame that "Solaris Acoustic" was to be the swan song for Elliot Minor.
