Craig Smith has come a long way...
5
By semidetached
Smith has finally squeezed the most out of his songs on his new 'The Nashville Sessions' EP by taking it back to basics. Both written and recorded on a weeklong holiday in Music City, these four acoustic tracks represent the best work of Smith's ambitious catalog. Clearly influenced by the quieter moments of Elliott Smith, opening track "Forever Dream" features understated, often whispered harmonies atop Smith's raw, yet melodic guitar line. "Everywhere You Go," impossibly upbeat for a Smith song, shines without a coat of studio polish thanks again to a simple hook and effective harmonies. Whether it was the change of scenery, the short turnaround time or the ambition to make a wholly lo-fi recording, Smith's 'The Nashville Sessions' serves his talents as a songwriter and performer better than anything that's come before it. And hopefully it's just a preview of what's to come.
(review by Christopher Fritz)
