Rating: NNNNN
It’s always nerve-racking for fans when a promising lo-fi garage act goes into a proper studio and strips away all the noise and dirt. Will the polishing reveal latent pop genius, or will it just uncover flaws hidden under layers of distortion? Thankfully, the Smith Westerns more than live up to our expectations on their sophomore album, and have blossomed into a much better rock band than we dared hope.
The fresh-faced Chicagoans have distanced themselves from the 60s garage rock sound they toyed with on their first album, and have obviously fallen deeply in love with T. Rex over the past year. Gorgeous fuzz guitar leads and glam rock glitter dominate, offset by soft layered harmonies and dreamy textures. With an average age of about 19, they’re too young to faithfully replicate the retro vibes they might be trying for, but that’s not a bad thing.
It’s by no means a genuinely innovative album, but with so many absurdly strong pop songs, who cares about originality?
Top track: Weekend
Smith Westerns play the Horseshoe February 28.
