Afie Jurvanen, or more properly, “Bahamas” returns with his fourth studio album and sort of a lukewarm presentation.  Jurvanen’s style is that of one man, his guitar, and his voice.  Though, what has always kept Jurvanen from becoming another lost name in this oversaturated sector of music is using his voice to carry some toe-tapping groove over a generally simple back beat and rhythm.  This feel-good vibe certainly is individual to Bahamas, but Earthtones’ delivery is just about at par.
            The album begins very nicely, with the first songs hooking a catch.  “Alone”, “The Shooby Dooby Song”, “No Wrong”, and “Show Me Naomi” remind me of Bahamas’ past work, and keeps a beautiful saunter kicking through the sound. “The Shooby Dooby Song” and “Show Me Naomi” are perhaps the best cuts on the entire album.  The album might have continued just fine, but Jurvanen had other cards up his sleeve. 
            His next few tracks feel very lifeless.  Jurvanen rolls on with mere average indie folk, plus twinges of something beachy, something bluesy, and even a bit of rap.  Frankly, these weird twists are only slightly confusing, and more forgettable than interesting.
            Before having a chance to return to Bahamas’ traditional hitters, the album comes upon its final tracks, where it takes the slowdown route until the end.  Again, “Everything to Everyone”. “So Free”, and “No Depression” try a few neat changeups, but the ultimately slow mood and uncomplicated arrangements are very forgettable.
          Last but not least, despite the overall decency, there is one surprising gem of a track that took me off guard.  The final track, “Any Place” comes out of left field with Jurvanen’s unrecognizably low vocals, and a true blues feeling at heart.  “Any Place” is the single coolest track from Earthtones.  So despite a few unusual misses, Bahamas otherwise has an okay new set of kickback-and-relax songs, which may or may not last through time.
4.5/10
For listeners of:
Jack Johnson, The Lumineers, John Mayer