Smith Westerns

Unlike The Rural Alberta Advantage, whose sound felt right at home on an outdoor stage, The Smith Westerns felt like they belonged inside, preferably somewhere with low lights and lower ceilings. It's not that they looked out of place - frontman Cullen Omori and bassist Cameron Omori provided a pleasant shag appeal, and the entire group appeared relatively fresh and nonthreatening. However, their sound didn't fair as well. The bubblegum fuzz that defines their eponymous debut album was too cleaned up, leaving behind some agreeable melodies, lighthearted lyrics (Oh, yeah - I wanna take you home / Oh don't you know, oh don't you know / You keep runnin' through my dreams / Just be my girl / Out there in this world) and nice harmonies. Not a bad set, but not all it could have been.