CHRIS SMITHER —TIME STAND STILL (Signature Sounds)

[Maurice Hope]

www.smither.com
www.signaturesounds.com
Folk blues Americana act Chris Smither who has been writing great songs for a long time and had the likes of Bonnie Raitt pick up on his work seems to make class albums at will.

Since the beginning Chris Smither has consistently been making full-bodied music that fits the Americana category better than most any act I can think of, and he shows no signs of easing up or letting the ball slip out of his grasp. His songs marked with relentless rhythm feel as he carves out an infectious groove with his guitar and taps out a beat with his feet have for company producer David Goodrich (electric, slide, acoustic guitar and piano) and Zak (percussion) who lend measured support.

All songs are his own work, other than Dylan’s ‘It Takes A lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry’ that eases in wonderful fashion and has him singing as good as at any time, it seems he always lifts his game when it comes to songs like this. Whether written by Bob —of whom he is a fan and covered regularly, or from his own pen and there’s a ton of them. Shuffling like a chugging freight train gathering speed his music has both power and a subtlety and there are others like it, then on lifting the tempo a little there is the likes of 1920’s blues master Frank Hutchison’s ‘Miner’s Blues’.

Kicking off the recording we have Smither swing into one of his typical grooves in ‘Don’t Call me Stranger’ followed by the foot-tapping rhythmic treasure ‘Time Stands Still’ and after an electric guitar powered ‘Surprise, Surprise’ the equally convincing and uplifting ‘I Don’t Know’. That spreads a melodic south sea island feel. Utilising a spot of dry philosophy ‘Call Yourself’ instructs the listener that in adversity it is sometimes best to dial your own number and hear the brutal truth.

After playing so many gigs, solo Smither has learnt how to get the best out of an instrument and strike up an effective beat as heard on ‘I Told You So’ (that rocks Smither style) while ‘Someone Like Me’ is as sombre and low-key as they come. It is good though.

His cover of Mark Knopfler’s ‘Madame Geneva’s’ produces a mystical presence as the story unfolds and Chris leans into the lyrics that speak of a hanging day and a guy selling ballad sheets for 1d a sheet and his battle to keep the demons away in drinking gin. If you have yet to either sample Chris Smither’s music, recorded or live then it is way past time you did!
Maurice Hope

Heres some music from Chris Smithers and where you can find him playing.


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