Citrus Girls / / PAR012

They Were Thieves

Steven Bakker has matured as a songwriter and it shows on this solid collection of songs that picks up where the Thieves left off. Drawing influence from both classic artists (Nilsonn, Marc Bolan) and contemporary (Bill Callahan, Devendra Banhart), the Thieves nonetheless create their own sound bound together by perfectly haunting vocals, and classy production. Bakker recorded all the songs in his home studio (electric blue room) and passed them along onto T. Owens (Distractions, Potions) who then mastered the tracks using reel to reel tape, enhancing the lo-fi qualities already present. The end result is a slew of honest songs, combining sentimentality with folky rock-and-roll.