All Things New offers a stripped-down take on “Washed Over Me” in an acoustic performance that puts the song’s melody, harmonies and message ahead of the production surrounding them.
The song originally appeared on the Florida band’s 2013 self-titled debut through BEC Recordings.
A year later, All Things New revisited several songs from that album for Attic Sessions, a four-track acoustic EP released July 29.
Attic Sessions Shows a Different Side of the Band
Producer Joe Kane recorded the EP in his attic studio, giving the project both its title and a more relaxed musical setting.
The band said the sessions allowed listeners to hear a different side of songs that originally carried fuller contemporary rock arrangements.
“It shows a different side of the band musically,” All Things New said. “It is way more stripped down and more organic than our debut album.”
That description also fits this performance of “Washed Over Me.”
Acoustic guitars and close vocal harmonies bring the song’s central theme of grace and renewal into clearer focus. Without a dense studio mix competing for attention, the arrangement feels more immediate.
The quieter setting does not drain the song of momentum. Instead, it gives Garrett Hornbuckle and the rest of the band room to let the melody carry more of the emotional weight.
Four Songs Get the Acoustic Treatment
Attic Sessions also includes acoustic versions of “In Your Reach,” “New Man” and “I Won’t Back Down.”
The EP follows a busy stretch for All Things New that included touring with Newsboys, Rhett Walker Band, Francesca Battistelli and Sanctus Real.
The band is also working on its next full-length album, expected in 2015, with additional touring planned for the fall.