What do you get when you take some 77s, Dryve, and Vigilantes of Love, mix them all together, pour in some folk and blues, and then throw in a little Rose Blossom Punch, Jars of Clay, and just a dash of The Spin Doctors for good measure? You get Crooked Smile, an aggressive-folk modern alternative band filled with electric and acoustic guitars and lots of emotion.
On the record, Crooked Smile is Jonathan Hart - electric and acoustic guitar and vocals; Nathan Rudolf - bass and vocals (Rudolf recently left the band); Matthew Whitley - lead electric and acoustic guitar; and Brennan Simmons - drums, percussion, and vocals. Their finished sound is crisp and well put-together. If you are looking for a wall of sound, you won't find it here--Crooked Smile's sound is softer giving it that folk-like quality. The guitar work is excellent and should impress even the uninformed listener. Hart's vocals start out easy to listen to, but by the end of the album, they get worn a little thin for me, kind of the way Bill Mallonee's (VoL) vocals do. David Vanderpoel, VP of A&R for Gray Dot Records, put in a lot of work to make this project a success. From artwork to producing, he is almost a fifth member of the band. Without his touches, this would not be the finely polished endeavor it is.
From the Spin Doctors-like "Keep on Spilling," to the heavily blues-influenced "Palm Sunday," to the almost country "Not Enough (Thanks is ...)," Crooked Smile gives you a lot of different styles to appreciate. There is a lot here to take in -- over 60 minutes of music in thirteen songs. Albums that long can get dull and repetitive, but Crooked Smile keeps it fresh, interesting, and entertaining.
I say entertaining with some hesitation because the dark aspect of Hart's lyrics can really weigh you down if you miss the subtle hope that is also portrayed in them. They may not be suited to all listeners due to the darkness and the lack of specific mention of God, but there are references there for those who do listen. I have to admit that they satisfy my tastes just fine. The lyrics would not prevent Crooked Smile's music from crossing over into the mainstream market.
Overall, this is a fine first effort, but there is room to grow. I will definitely keep an ear open to see how these guys come out.
4 tocks
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #72Reviewed by Brian Vincent McGovernWith a healthy variety of sounds, Crooked Smile's latest should impress quite a few fans of not-so-heavy modern rock. All the guitars on here have such great sounds on them... I just wish the music was heavy enough to match them. Emotional lyrics artistically pour out somewhat deep spiritual longings, but there's not a lot of musical substance here to make the project stand out among the rest.The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Linda T. StonehockerCrooked Smile's first release is an introspective, self-aware project. The lyrics, written by Jonathan Hart, detail the difficulties people encounter while trying to find their place in the world. In "I Spin" he sings: My petty little worries My precious wasted time My damaged possessions At least they are mine. All of the songs are written in the first or second person, but Hart opens up the…Similar sounding releases
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