Smith Westerns- Dye It Blonde (2011)

Recommended if you like: Harlem, Black Kids, Destroyer, Girls, Magic Kids, Born Ruffians, The Morning Benders

All the members of Smith Westerns are younger than me. Man, does that make me feel unaccomplished. Anyway, that youthful energy definitely shines through on the band's sophomore effort, Dye It Blonde. Sure, their sound is pretty generic, unashamed indie pop/rock but they play it surprisingly tight. Like on the fantastic album opener "Weekend," which is full of soaring vocal melodies, dramatic synths and distorted lead guitar lines that are sure to get your feet tapping. They use this bloated effect on the lead guitar lines that sounds like the guitar solo at the end of (The Beatles') "Let It Be." The album switches from fast-paced garage-y jams like "Dance Away" to more intimate slower compositions like "Still New," the latter filled of thunderous chords and delay-soaked tremolo guitar lines. To me, Dye It Blonde sounds like what The Morning Benders were going for with Big Echo, though I think Smith Westerns succeed at the youthful rag-tag indie pop thing with so much more grace and energy. It also really reminds me of Harlem's Hippies, but with way more texture. Again, there probably isn't a single trick or progression on this album that isn't already-charted territory. But Dye It Blonde is fun as hell. Click the album artwork to sample.

1. Weekend
2. Still New
3. Imagine Pt. 3
4. All Die Young
5. Fallen In Love
6. End of the Night
7. Only One
8. Smile
9. Dance Away
10. Dye The World

Buy Dye It Blonde from Fat Possum