Smith Westerns - Dye It Blonde

Smith Westerns Dye It Blonde (Fat Possum Records)

What is the "sophomore slump"? It gets to even the best bands, like The Strokes for instance.  Is This It, at the time of it's release, garnished tons of positive reviews from critics, some even going as far as calling a "perfect album".  Is This It did extremely well critically and commercially, gaining the relatively unknown NYC garage rock band a world wide following.  This led to much anticipation for their second effort, Room on Fire, which was a victim of the sophomore slump, and to be honest, it really wasn't that great of an album, it was a huge let down.

Smith Westerns

This brings us to the Smith Westerns, a Chicago garage pop trio, who makes us think twice before using the term "sophomore slump".  Their noisy debut, The Smith Westerns, was a fun and raw sounding album.  It wasn't the best sounding album, production wise, but that's the way garage is supposed to be, just a messy affair with fuzzy guitars, shitty recording equipment, and songs about girls. Overall, it was a pretty enjoyable album.

The Smith Westerns (HoZac Records)

Dye It Blonde is their sophomore effort being handled by Fat Possum Records, original home of The Black Keys, and the Smith Westerns waves their middle fingers at the term "sophomore slump".  Most bands try to reinvent themselves, get ambitious, or the fame gets to them while recording their second effort, but the Smith Westerns look past all of that.  Instead of staying with the dirty, fuzzy sound that went with on their debut, and went for a more of a sound thats right in between pop and surf rock, which could be described as a homage to The Beach Boys or the Beatles perhaps?  Even the title of the album is a homage to the 60's.  Production wise, there is a big improvement in sound and the band stated for the recording of the album that they would get into a real studio this time around.  These aren't the same meddle-some, girl chasing teenager on The Smith Westerns.  These guys are still on the hunt for "that" girl, or the only fish that you want, but with more class, crooning on the album opener, Weekend, "Weekends are never fun/ Unless you're around here too.". Sure the boys have matured, but it doesn't mean that they still can't be fun, with tracks like Dance Away.  The boys even get George Harrison-esque on tracks like All Die Young, Fallen In Love, and Dye It Blonde.  The Smith Westerns don't fall victim to the sophomore slump and show us how not to.

Verdict: 8.5/10

Listen: Smith Westerns - Dance Away