Smithereens - A Date With The Smithereens

  by Lisa Torem

published: 17 / 1 / 2018

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Formed in 1980 in New Jersey, the original members of The Smithereens were vocalist/guitarist Pat DiNizio, guitarist/vocalist Jim Babjak, bassist/vocalist Mike Mesaros and percussionist Dennis Diken. In 2006, Severo Jornacion took over the bass duties from Mesaros. If you enjoy the more bittersweet classics of the swirly, sobering 1960’s, ‘A Date with The Smithereens’ (1994) may hit the spot. The skuttle surrounding them at the time of their first release, ‘Especially for You’ (1986), allowed them the freedom to display their true colours, which included a flair for genre-hopping and well-formed stanzas. These songs hinge on somewhat predictable progressions, which allow the lyrics and mood to shine through without distraction. The album starts out with the punchy, fatalistic ‘War for my Mind’ – “there’s a black cloud in front of my head” - and is followed by ‘Everything I Have is Blue’, featuring an echoe-y distortion that storms ahead with an electric blues pulse. ‘Miles from Nowhere’ is besieged by sadness… “You took your love away from, you left me here for all to see…” ‘Afternoon Tea’ is a refreshing contrast, due to the addition of the keyboards. ‘Point of No Return’ hearkens back to a Badfinger buoyancy; it’s probably the most contagious arrangement here, with the most endearing harmonies. ‘Sleep the Night Away’ relies more on the riff than the story line; ‘Love is Gone’ is more of a fully-fleshed out arrangement, as is ‘Long Way Back Again,’ with its sprightly vibe. ‘Gotti’ stands out, as the band really experiments well with the juxtaposition of the rhythmic words. ‘Sick of Seattle’ has a playfulness about it and the alliterative title lends itself to a cohesive story; the instruments and vocals really play off the world-weary lyrics: “Tired of flannel and growing my hair…” ‘Can’t Go Home Anymore’ oozes personality; Babiak’s voice sounds super natural and expressive. The closer, ‘Life is So Beautiful’ has a rough-gentle dichotomy—the blues harp adds a haunting timbre. Although the songs vary to a large degree, and don’t necessarily work as a collection, there are some lovely moments on ‘A Date with The Smithereens’.

Track Listing:-

1 War For My Mind
2 Everything I Have Is Blue
3 Miles From Nowhere
4 Afternoon Tea
5 Point of No Return
6 Sleep the Night Away
7 Love Is Gone
8 Long Way Back Again
9 Gotti
10 Sick of Seattle
11 Can't Go Home Anymore
12 Life Is So Beautiful

Band Links:-

https://en-gb.facebook.com/thesmithereens/
https://officialsmithereens.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/officialsmithereens
https://twitter.com/texremy

Label Links:-

http://www.floatingworldrecords.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/floating.worldrecords
https://twitter.com/floatingwrecord

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