Smoosh - Free To Stay oh, Smoosh. i love these guys.

the sister duo from Seattle is back on Barsuk for their second full-length LP, called Free To Stay, next week (June 6th). that's why i'm finally writing a review.

first let me complain a little for these girls. yes, i do mean for them. where are the marketing people for these two? they have about zero press photos, a horrible official site (sorry girls, it's sort of a mess), and do they even have a release party scheduled? it better be that salt lake city show i see on Barsuk!

moving on.

their new album shows even more promise than the first. She Like Electric, their first album, saw them both as skinny Limited-Too-clad tweens, green to the scene albeit shockingly mature to the material. the hype is true; their appeal is their age. they're hardly unaware of their unparalleled early understanding of the indiesphere and of just plain good music.

this second release is still a maturing (oh how i wish we could have had an answer to Electric's Rad, but that would be a move away from maturity, wouldn't it? some funny stuff, there, wooo). their music has always been extremely stripped down - it's just keyboard and drums - but now, not only have their voices changed, but they've eased into it a little bit. it does get monotonous at times, i'll admit, but rarely can you sit down and run through an entire White Stripes album, either. (no i did not just make that comparison! i think i'm just tired of hearing about Kate Bush.) Electric always did seem to have some nervous energy to it. the vocals are airy, hesitant; on Free To Stay, the girls are a little more serious about it. it's just something that comes with age, experience, press, hype, an indie-machine label release and a tour around the US and Europe with Eels. yep. just something that all girls have to go through before highschool.

i do recommend it. beyond any Barsuck, WB show, and even this blogosphere hype factory - these girls have promise, passion, and they're effing adorable. give them a listen and support their dreams. Eels are good too, so if you see they're coming to you, go out and rock as hard as you possibly can to two petite blonds on keyboard and drums.

their Pattern 25 Records page (She Like Electric free mp3: Massive Cure)

a year-old interview from Believer Magazine about recording She Like Electric. another great one from Believer (i love those guys, i really do).

pre-order here now

  shan  2:54 PM  |  view comments (0)