Paul Smith and the Intimations - Contradictions
by Dixie Ernill
published: 8 / 10 / 2015
Label:
Billingham Records
Format: CD
intro
Despite moonlighting with his new band, Paul Smith doesn’t abandon his Maximo Park roots on this excellent new album
Paul Smith is no stranger to extra-curricular activity outside his day job as singer of established indie band Maximo Park, having already released his debut solo album, ‘Margins’, back in October 2010 and a collaborative album in 2014 with Peter Brewis (of Field Music fame) under the title ‘Frozen by Sight’. Tthe previous two albums were, however, both departures from the Maximo Park blueprint, whereas ‘Contradictions’ does have more than a passing nod to Smith’s main band’s later output. This is no bad thing. Smith’s eye for detail within, often obtuse, often witty, lyrics is as beguiling as always - “When we got back to my house I’d forgot to put the duvet back on/ We played the waiting game” from the excellent ‘Fill in the Blanks’ or “Two lovers/Buried like roots in the sand/The firecrackers have died,/The rodent train stopped running.” from ‘Coney Island (4th of July)’ being typical examples. As previously stated , musically the album’s bedrock is in Maximo Park granite, but there are some subtle twists into 70’s folk rock such as the aforementioned ‘Coney Island (4th July)’ and ‘Reintroducing the Red Kite’. Again, this is no bad thing. ‘I Should Never Know’ with hints of the Cure’s ‘Pictures of You’ is the stunning dream-like centre piece of the album, while the Berlin-inspired ‘People On Sunday’ and the album opener, ‘The Deep End’ are also highlights. Maximo Park may well be revisiting their now ten year old debut album 'A Certain Trigger' on tour this winter, but in ‘Contradictions’ Smith has shown that his ear for a decent melody and his brain for a sharp lyric are as undiminished and forward thinking as ever. This is more than just a stop-gap between his main band’s albums. It is a bold statement of intent.
Track Listing:-
1 The Deep End2 Break Me Down
3 Reintroducing the Red Kite
4 Before the Perspiration Falls
5 All the Things You'd Like to Be
6 I Should Never Know
7 The Golden Glint
8 Fill in the Blanks
9 People on Sunday
10 Coney Island (4th of July)
11 The Mezzanine Floor
12 Quick
13 Fluid Identity
Band Links:-
http://www.paulsmithmusic.eu/https://www.facebook.com/paulsmitheu
https://twitter.com/paulsmithmusic
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7IFD3V6t3P3eBTJgs9uMig
https://instagram.com/thinkinginpictures/
soundcloud
most viewed articles
current edition
Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies - Sala Apolo, Barcelona, 29/11/2023 and La Paqui, Madrid, 30/11/2023Anthony Phillips - Interview
Difford and Tilbrook - Difford and Tilbrook
Rain Parade - Interview
Oldfield Youth Club - Interview
Autumn 1904 - Interview
Shaw's Trailer Park - Interview
Cafe No. 9, Sheffield and Grass Roots Venues - Comment
Pete Berwick - ‘Too Wild to Tame’: The story of the Boyzz:
Chris Hludzik - Vinyl Stories
most viewed reviews
current edition
Marika Hackman - Big SighSerious Sam Barrett - A Drop of the Morning Dew
Rod Stewart and Jools Holland - Swing Fever
Ian M Bailey - We Live in Strange Times
Loves - True Love: The Most of The Loves
Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run
Autumn 1904 - Tales of Innocence
Roberta Flack - Lost Takes
Banter - Heroes
Posey Hill - No Clear Place to Fall
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart