Localized Music: The Smith Westerns

In less than two years, garage-rock quartet The Smith Westerns have gone from being misfits at Northside College Preparatory High School to opening for bigger, like-minded acts on both local (Alex White) and national levels (Jay Reatard). It’s easy to see why the group’s music has been catching on with their recently released self-titled full-length: Much of Smith Westerns exudes a simple, sweet musical charm that’s absent from most popular music. The album works mainly because there isn’t a whiff of irony to be found on romantic, lo-fi, and glam-rock pastiches like “Girl In Love.” That isn’t to say that the homages to Nuggets-era psychedelic rock, T. Rex, and Phil Spector always work. The '60s frat-rock of “Gimme Some Time” and middling ballads like “Be My Girl” are instances of where the band’s charming throwbacks become overtly formulaic. Elsewhere, the band almost absolves its derivative sins by delving into more original territory—joyfully fractured, insanely melodic psych-folk (“Boys Are Fine” and “We Stay Out”). Though most its band members are barely into college, Smith Westerns shows that, with time, they no doubt will go to the head of their class (or garage). Grade: B+

Here they are performing "Tonight" on Chic-A-Go-Go:

The Smith Westerns play a Pitchfork after-party show with Alla, The Blue Ribbon Glee Club, and The Loyal Divide at the Bottom Lounge tonight at 8 p.m.