Smith Westerns - Dye It Blonde

Short but sweet sophomore stuff. Ssss.

Sibilance, mmm. I downloaded this record mostly on account of its almost universal praise, plus last.fm had recommended the band to me. It's not hard to see why - they're influenced by David Bowie, T.Rex and Iggy Pop - and they have the audacity to describe their band interests as "pu$$y and weed". I tend to ignore recommendations on account of how often I find them to be based on nonsense (you like M.I.A.? Why not try this black girl who slaps herself all the time?!) but the Chicago band have taken me by surprise.

With a music video showing the band playing arcade games and buying Led Zeppelin albums and porn, 'Weekend' is the second most fun-packed track this year to look forward to the weekend after Rebecca Black - with a nice chorus (you'll sing along to the "tooooooooo"s) and a synthy backdrop that splashes reverie in your face. The Marc Bolan influences become apparent in 'Still New' with classically 70s glam-rock riffs and a carefree vocal intonance that doubtlessly sets teenage hearts racing across the Atlantic. Such glam revivalist tones are seen again in 'Imagine Pt. 3' with abundant hooks and a bit of a honky-tonk rhythm that drown out the lyrics but it's not such a shame.


Organs kick off 'All Die Young' that one last.fm user feared might herald the arrival of Chris Martin (Fix You) - but instead it ascends into climactic choruses and high-pitched twangs that are a different (less soppy) kind of glorious. A brief but again gloriously boppy track, 'Fallen In Love' is similar to the work of The Killers' Hot Fuss (ie. synths + rock + slightly camp = win) formula. The piano parts of 'End of the Night' are a little bit worryingly reminiscent of The Hoosiers' attempts to pretend Electric Light Orchestra haven't all done this before (yes, this is a bit Mr. Blue Sky) but breaks this up with some familiar crashing and soaring synths.

There's a nagging feeling that 'Only One' reminds me of something else - given its extremely derivative nature, which I guess could be seen as a complaint but if anything, as a fan of the genre, I'm perfectly capable to enjoy it as it is. There's then a touch of the All The Young Dudes in 'Smile', seen to entrance likes of Oasis and Suede before the Smith Westerns, who indulge us with a couple of elaborate guitar solos and a predictable-yet-brilliant progression (the acoustic part near the end sounds a little bit like Oasis' 'Digsy's Dinners' or the intro to 'A Day in the Life'. Not bad tracks to emulate I guess.

The glam-disco nature of 'Dance Away' that slows down for a singalong chorus and an unusual blend of complex guitar-work and bold keyboard effects is again to be enjoyed but for me the track is a little too short to really shake things up. Closing track 'Dye the World' sees some of the record's best guitar work - screeching sublimely and climactically - and indeed sums up the record pretty well.


Because it's the kind of reinventive nature that can sometimes threaten a band's intentions and fall flat on its arse, but whilst the Smith Westerns have played pretty safe they've also layered on a couple of psychedelic experiences, synthesized dance anthems and given a fresh lease of life that the likes of Oasis had hastened to hammer out to death. With summer well on the way this is pretty much the perfect album to enjoy yourself with.

Rating: 9/10
Highlights: Smile, Dye the World, Weekend, All Die Young, Imagine Pt. 3, End of the Night
Avoid: n/a. I think Dance Away is a little too short but it's by no means naff.
Artwork watch: Blurry, washy pastel-coloured flowers with a scribbled title overleaf. I APPROVE.