The Smith Westerns hail from Chicago and create the kind of catchy indie pop songs that take you to a happy place. The band’s signature sound is based on a pretty consistent formula – roughly 4 minute songs packed with harmonies, rolling drum beats and catchy guitar hooks. Think Little Red, but with the twee factor turned down several notches.
Soft Will, the band’s third album, opens with ‘3am Spiritual’, starting out with soft, caressing vocals and synth notes. It’s not long before the rolling drum beat kicks in and some drawn out guitar notes are swirling around. And of course harmonies The Beach Boys would be proud of. This song is incredibly catchy.
The Smith Westerns keep the tempo on a high with ‘Idol’, retaining the same songwriting formula as ‘3am Spiritual’. Meanwhile, on songs like ‘Case and Point, the band strays from the upbeat melodies to something a bit more lackadaisical and cruisey. This is the kind of song you could imagine playing in the background as you’re sipping cocktails by a stunning beach in Fiji. It’s on songs like this where you can hear touches of Beatles influences with the mini guitar solo.
While there are some killer songs on Soft Will that touch you in all the right spots, there are also some weak songs. Towards the backend of the album, ‘Cheer Up’, is disjointed in its melody and sits oddly next to the other poppy songs. There seems to be a bit of confusion about what the band was trying to achieve here – something offbeat or just something different to mix it up? The vocals sound almost out of tune and it’s a disappointing way to end the album’s pop goodness.
Soft Will has a natural and organic feel – most of the time. The songs are finely crafted and have obviously had a lot of work put into them to strip out any unnecessary parts – every note seems to mean something. With some really slick production thrown in, Soft Will is an easy album to listen to.
It’s not breaking new musical ground, but it isn’t intended to. If you take it for what it is – an album full of sweet sounding harmonies and indie pop balls of goodness – you can appreciate this record. Only time will tell whether Soft Will stands up to the test of time months and years down the track.
Inertia
6/10
Reviewer: Stephanie McDonald