photo: Devin Dobbins
It used to be, a new Chris Smither album was a rare event. Thankfully, they’re not so much anymore, but Chris Smither remains a rare quality. A tireless troubadour for more than four decades, Smither’s pipes has over the years settled into a leathered warble that only reinforces the depth and maturity of his reflective, forthright prose. That’s not the only quality that puts Smither a cut above so many other folk singers; he’s a country blues man at heart, and he can — and always does — deliver it in the simplest, matter-of-fact ways. That makes his acoustic guitar just as crucial in his delivery as his singing, a style Smither self-describes as “one third Lightnin’ Hopkins, one-third Mississippi John Hurt and one-third me.”
Though Smither is a master interpreter — just listen to what he did with “Statesboro Blues” for proof — Hundred Dollar Valentine is nothing but Smither originals. That’s just fine, too, because the composer of “Love You Like A Man” knows a thing or two about crafting songs whose simple, direct lyrics can stop you dead in your tracks and compel you to listen in.
Just from a casual listen (or so I thought), a well-placed phrase that he tosses out can register into the consciousness and stick with you: “I’m too old to die young” on “What They Say,” “Tomorrow’s just your grand plan for yesterday” on “Place In Line,” “Home is where the heart lives when it will not lock the door” on “Feeling By Degrees” and “All that nothin’ causes all that pain” on “I Feel The Same.”
The ol’ time feel of his songs is a calling card, and even new songs like the stomping “Hundred Dollar Valentine” (video of live performance below) can be mistaken for an Appalachian standard, but no, it’s not a standard…yet. In spite of the festive mood of the song’s rhythms, the words of missing a lover are aching and nearly hopeless. Smither doesn’t limit himself to just love songs, with confessionals like “On The Edge” and a renunciation of an empty soul on the haunting “Every Mother’s Son.”
Smither also remakes one of his signature tunes, the austere breakup song “I Feel The Same,” once covered by Bonnie Raitt, with Jimmy Fitting’s harmonica mimicking the lingering abrasiveness in the tone of lyrics. The hidden track (“Rosalie” originally on his 1985 comeback album It Ain’t Easy) is Smither at his most unvarnished, just his gravelly voice, fingerpicked guitar and a stomping foot, captured field recording style.
The rest of the tracks are only slightly more adorned, with Smither’s guitar accompanied by maybe with some percussion, a harmonica, a little bit of strings and slide guitar and even a diddly bo here or there. No keyboards, and not even a bass guitar. For all I know, Pro Tools was banned from the sessions, too. David Goodrich’s production is very sympathetic to Smither’s down-home style.
Hundred Dollar Valentine is another product by one of America’s finest folk blues practitioners performing today, and more validation of what puts him that class.
The Hundred Dollar Valentine CD goes on sale June 19 by Signature Sounds. Visit Chris Smither’s website for more info.
[amazon_enhanced asin=”B000H0M5BK” /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B0000A0DWG” /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B002IVLWF6″ /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B0011BE31O” /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B00558P8AE” /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B00004U02M” /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B00000I73F” /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B0000005RY” /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B0000005R2″ /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B001FA1O0O” /]
- Darius Jones – ‘Legend of e’Boi (The Hypervigilant Eye)’ - November 15, 2024
- Rich Halley 4 – ‘Dusk And Dawn’ (2024) - November 13, 2024
- Vazesh [Lloyd Swanton, Jeremy Rose + Hamed Sadeghi] – ‘Tapestry’ (2024) - November 12, 2024
