Smith Westerns - Dye It Blonde
- Written by Antonio Tzikas
What can I say about the Smith Westerns? For a starter, they were 100% my favourite band of last year, their debut album was pretty much on repeat (well, I had to get my use out of it... it did cost me £23 as an import) throughout the year and this follow up has been anticipated with intense excitement ever since I heard the clip of the fantastic ‘All Die Young’ as part of the ‘Friends Forever’ short film clip thing on Youtube.
I half expected another fuzzy lo-fi record, but hoped that they would pull a proper album out the bag, and fortunately, they have. Retaining their updated glam sound, Smith Westerns have grown immensely since their debut, both into adulthood and in terms of sound. Though keeping their playful poppy aesthetic, the songs on Dye It Blonde feel more mature and a definite progression into a more polished, together, sound, but one that is distinctly recognisable as the Smith Westerns.
The classic rock/T-Rex glam blueprint is still stuck to, and to be honest, is the one thing that sets Smith Westerns apart from their contemporaries. The lack of anyone exploring the same avenue, one which is usually seen as outdated and is definitely not in vogue to be copying right now, has worked in The Smith Westerns' favour.
On first listen, Dye It Blonde instantly sounds timeless, the sound is so retro that it’d be fully believable that this was released in the mid 70s. The drapings of fuzz on the original record have gone and have been replaced with coherent vocals, some nice synths and professional production. Just take the version of 'Imagine Pt. 3' on the album and compare it to the one they released with Magic Kids last summer and you’ll see the difference. In terms of songs, Dye It Blonde is no better than the first album, more accessible, yes, but better? No. If they’d re-recorded the whole debut in a studio it would stand up to, or surpass, this record.
The lead track ‘Weekend’ is the first full song from the album I heard, and was that got me so exited for it’s release, it’s simply classic pop. The opening riff seals the deal and the chorus is genius, for me it really demonstrated how genuinely talented Smith Westerns are and that their debut was not just a flash in the pan, lo-fi-for-the-sake-of-it, record.
I could rant about how amazing each song on this record is for days on end, so I won’t begin, I think my friends are sick enough of me forcing them to listen to the band. I suggest you have a listen yourself. Album of the year?