Eric Bachmann is perhaps best known as being the brain and the creativity behind the Crooked Fingers. Having well and truly served his apprenticeship being the front man of Crooked Fingers and Archers of Loaf, Bachmann has decided it is time to take a stand releasing a solo album. Has he done it for fame, fortune, and individual glory? Well, quite possibly, but then having spent the last few summers living in his tour bus, who can really blame him? To The Races is Bachmann’s first solo album and is due in stores on August 22nd. While the style of Indie rock band Crooked Fingers is clearly evident in many of the tracks, Bachmann also argues that the music offer enough variety when compared to his previous bands to help him make it as a solo artist. To The Races is predominantly a guitar and vocal album with only the interjection of a violinist and singer on two tracks to help flesh out the tracks a little. As such, Bachmann’s incredible singer songwriter talent is evident in bucket loads. It should certainly provide him with ample recognition as being a solo artist in his own rights. Bachmann wrote the album when he returned from the European Crooked Fingers tour. Not wanting to lose money renting an apartment he would barely use, he continued to live in the tour bus. As a consequence of missing out on some of the finer things in life, To The Races was created in a matter of months. The album itself was recorded with a couple of microphones, pre-amps and a Mac computer. The result, though, is truly astonishing and definitely one to wait for.