Posted on Saturday, October 31, 2009 2:24 PM
Boston singer and guitar player Chris Smither has been on the road for aeons, with his albums serving as pit stops for the next leg of the tour. With a voice dipped in gravel and a bit of sugar he stamps his feet to keep the beat, while his acoustic guitar weaves melancholic melodies.
Time Stands Still is an old-school folk blues album, committed to tape in a mere three days with producer and guitarist David "Goody" Goodrich and drummer Zak Trojano. Smither wrote eight songs and there three covers: It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry (Bob Dylan), Madame Geneva’s (Mark Knopfler), and Miner’s Blues (Frank Hutchison). The Knopfler track stands out as a sore thumb - the lyrics pale among the great storytelling that is the heart of this album.
Smither himself can seduce (Don't Call Me Stranger) and accuse I Told You So, making Time Stand Still a timeless album. Give it a spin on a dark and windy night.
Time Stands Still is released on Signature Sounds.
Tracks:
- Don't Call Me Stranger
- Time Stands Still
- Surprise, Surprise
- I Don't Know
- Call Yourself
- Old Man Down
- I Told You So
- It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
- Miner’s Blues
- Someone Like Me
- Madame Geneva’s
MP3: Chris Smither - Don't Call Me Stranger
MP3: Chris Smither - Time Stands Still
Live dates:
- 10/31 Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- 11/06 Regent Theatre (w/ David Goodrich & Zak Trojano), Arlington, MA
- 11/07 Iron Horse Music Hall (w/ David Goodrich & Zak Trojano), Northampton, MA
- 11/12 Ashland Coffee and Tea, Ashland, VA
- 11/13 The Birchmere( w/ David Goodrich & Zak Trojano), Alexandria, VA
- 11/14 World Cafe Live (w/ David Goodrich & Zak Trojano), Philadelphia, PA
- 11/15 Joe’s Pub (w/ David Goodrich & Zak Trojano), New York, NY
- 11/20 Stone Mountain Arts Center, Brownfield, Maine
- 11/21 Strand Theatre, Rockland, Maine
- 12/04 May Memorial UU Society (w/ David Goodrich & Zak Trojano), Syracuse, NY
- 12/05 Common Fence Point Hall, Portsmouth, RI
- 12/10 Turning Point, Piermont, NY
- 12/11 The Record Collector (w/ David Goodrich & Zak Trojano), Bordentown, NJ
- 12/12 Roaring Brook, Canton, CT
» smither.com
» myspace.com/chrissmither