The Smith Street Band
More Scared of You than You Are of Me
Release Date: Apr 7, 2017
Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Punk Revival
Record label: SideOneDummy
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Album Review: More Scared of You than You Are of Me by The Smith Street Band
Excellent, Based on 3 Critics
Based on rating 9/10
The band's latest record More Scared of You Than You Are of Me is their boldest release to date. Exploding from the outset in the form of "Forrest" there's a blatant sense of urgency that continues across the course of the record, palpable in the "Death to the Lads" boozy refrain, tangible in the sheer passion of "25". Of course, it's the narratives that make a Smith Street Band record.
Based on rating 8.0/10
Wil Wagner is like the Australian Frank Turner. He's sing-shouts with the same taut balance of earnestness and no-fucks-to-give should anyone diminish his stylings as disingenuousness. That might actually be why Wagner's punk rock quartet, The Smith Street Band, is just starting to get some buzz across the ocean, even if More Scared of You Than You Are of Me is their fourth LP.
Based on rating 7/10
The fourth full-length effort by the Smith Street Band finds the Melbourne punks sticking to their signature sound while pushing it to extremes in all directions: the louds are louder, the quiets are quieter and there's rarely a moment that doesn't feel like they've poured their hearts into every chord and every word. More Scared of You Than You Are of Me is all about the forcefulness of feeling, and how those forces come together in a bond -- or explode on impact. Frontman Wil Wagner careens around like a fireball of passion, determination, romance and cynicism here, burning brightly yet always on the verge of being snuffed out.
'More Scared of You than You Are of Me'
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