Smith Westerns

Dye It Blonde (Fat Possum)

By Jeff Terich
Published: January 18th, 2011 | 7:00am

Sometimes the true measure of a band is what it can do with the most limited of means, and few bands in recent memory have lent as much credence to this idea as Chicago power pop outfit Smith Westerns. On the band’s self-titled 2009 debut, fuzz and tape hiss proved less of a hindrance than an aesthetic accompaniment to their T. Rex and Kinks-style pop nuggets. With a shower and a shave, however, the band reveals even more depth to their stunning compositions, as revealed on their crisper, glossier follow-up, Dye It Blonde.

Sharper both in fidelity and songwriting, Dye It Blonde is an awe-inspiring makeover for the band, whose sunny, summertime glam-pop retains all of its youthful charm despite what likely amounts to a much larger recording budget. Right off the bat, lead in track “Weekend” finds the band pulling out the brightest, shiniest tricks from their bottomless bag, with twinkling guitar effects and glorious vocal harmonies dreamily bolstering the innocent quality behind lyrics like, “Weekends are never fun, unless you’re around here.”

Much of Dye It Blonde’s charms lie in the details that The Smith Westerns bring to each track, from the chattering castanets in “Still New,” to the thick and syrupy Hammond in “All Die Young” and the juxtaposition of acoustic and electric guitars in “Fallen In Love.” Ultimately, however, Dye It Blonde is a triumph of tightly constructed, hook-friendly songwriting. A fuzzbox and some great riffs got the Smith Westerns off to a great start, but the soaring melodies and mesmerizing production flourishes here reveal a depth and ambition that their lo-fi debut could only begin to suggest.

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Fat Possum Records