When you look at the three members from Chicago's glam-garage band Smith Westerns, the first thing that comes to mind isn't good looks, machismo, or oozing androgynous sexuality like their fore fathers T. Rex and the New York Dolls. They also aren't the cleanest looking guys on the planet, but honestly: What musicians are? However, their second full length LP Dye it Blonde, is as clean as the asshole of a--nevermind, you get the picture.
Dye it Blonde is more than a step up from their self titled debut album; it's a clear step in a direction that has a bright future for the three twenty somethings from Chicago. Be it guitar, drums, bass, or the newly introduced synth, everything sounds precise and clear--a sound you can tell has been refined and fine tuned. Dye it Blonde incorporates everything the Smith Westerns stand for: fun, raucous, hooky rock songs that are somewhat rare for this generation of music. With bands like Titus Andronicus and Girls, pure rock, without the presence of high production, overstated synths and sounds, and dark ominous tones, is a nice thing to see as well as a nice thing to hear for a change.
The thick, fuzzy guitar has become not only essential to the glam rock sound, but also has been honed in by the guys of Smith Westerns as a sound all their own. In fact, they master it quite well. In songs like "Weekend," the sound soars upward and loops around your head only to pass straight through you and make you want to hum to the riff. More importantly, Dye it Blonde is what a sophomoric album should be: a total regeneration and new approach to something oh-so familiar, yet distant enough where it catches your ear and makes you want to listen again.
Rating: 86/100
--Mike
No comments:
Post a Comment