Tag Archives: sonny-smith

Sonny Smith’s Low-Key Garage Pop is Deceptively Smart

by SyreetaCharbonn Posted on February 23, 2015

Mother Jones

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Sonny and the Sunsets
Talent Night at the Ashram
Polyvinyl

Seemingly adrift in a drowsy haze, the always-engaging Sonny Smith would make a fine magician, so adept is he at the art of misdirection. Like its predecessors, Antenna to the Afterworld and Longtime Companion, the winning Talent Night at the Ashram projects a laid-back, even apathetic vibe, but Smith’s low-key garage pop (brightened this time by thrift-shop synths) and aw-shucks singing are just the beginning of the story. This down-home philosopher is a thoughtful and compassionate observer of ordinary folks looking to make sense of life, as shown in such deceptively smart songs as “Alice Leaves for the Mountains”and “Icelene’s Loss.” While the seven-minute “Happy Carrot Health Food Store” will strain the patience of all but the most devoted fans, it’s a rare lapse for this charming man.

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Sonny Smith’s Low-Key Garage Pop is Deceptively Smart

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Elevate Your Mood With the Cool Ghouls

by SherlynMerriman Posted on November 17, 2014

Mother Jones

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Cool Ghouls
A Swirling Fire Burning Through the Rye
Empty Cellar

Psychedelic in the sense of “anything goes,” as opposed to tired DayGlo nostalgia, San Francisco’s Cool Ghouls project a sloppy party-going-overboard vibe that belies their considerable assets. This vibrant sophomore album was recorded by Sonny Smith, leader of Sonny and the Sunsets, and like that lovably slackerish crew, this snappy quartet uses a studied casualness to mask major pop smarts. Guitars veer abruptly from snarling fuzztones to folk-rock chimes and back, while the cascading three-part vocal harmonies are sunny exuberance exemplified, but never fussy or precise, and the songs are downright catchy. Recommended to fans of the Beau Brummels or Robyn Hitchcock—and anybody else needing a quick mood elevator.

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Elevate Your Mood With the Cool Ghouls

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