Thursday 21 March 2013

Richard Smith - Autumn is here and I guess I'm still in love with you EP

EP review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk


No, this isn't an ill thought out release date for a record with a title like that, it was actually put out in October but we only heard about it recently and didn't want to let a decent record pass us by, even though thoughts are turning to spring rather than Autumn. We can't really give you the lowdown on Richard Smith as we have no information ourselves, but we think he's British (tags on his Bandcamp page suggest the North East) and this is his debut EP proper (despite only being two tracks long). Autumnal by name and autumnal by nature; this pair of songs are reflective and warming, as though mourning the end of summer, although it's clearly lost love that's on his mind.

The first track, 'Wishing Well' is an experimental folk number with strings and percussion that sounds as though it comes from makeshift instruments rather than a drum kit. Smith's voice can carry the emotion of the lyrics well enough too, and by the end of its six-minutes it's travelled through several stages from simple guitar and voice to more heavily orchestrated sections and changes of pace. The more lively 'Your Ghost' doesn't scrimp on the emotion either, behind that upfront beat lie lyrics of desolation and desperation as he battles to forget a past relationship. The production on the EP is just about perfect and the songs, although folky, are far more interesting and original in terms of composition than you'd expect. The good news for us is that because of the delay we don't have the winter of discontent to look forward to, and hopefully luck will deal us a better hand.



Richard Smith's website

Stream or download the EP





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