Smittens - City Rock Dove
by Helen Tipping
published: 3 / 11 / 2018
Label:
Fika Recordings
Format: LP
intro
Excellent vinyl only album from Burlington, Vermont-based twee pop band the Smittens, which takes as one of its main themes gender fluidity
The Smittens hail from Burlington, Vermont, where they formed in 2002. Starting out as a very twee indie band, they have become slightly less twee over the years, having a more poppy aesthetic to their music. The band are very much of the DIY princple not only writing the music, but creating the artwork for their releases and booking their own tours. This year saw them perform at Indietracks festival at the Midland Railway in Butterley, Derbshire, where they performed on the larger outdoor stage on Saturday afternoon. Their songs look at the political intertwined with the personal, 'City Rock Dove' starts off with 'Three States', a look at how people say what they want the other person to hear to get their way. In fact navigating personal relationships in the current climate forms the subject for a number of songs on this album, casting a light on changes to personal interaactions in these days of social media and realisations around gender fluidity. My personal favourite on the album is 'Infinity Pools', which has a Spanish sound and some Spanish lyrics. It’s a song about single people holidaying in Spain or Mexico, who knows, but Europeans and Americans will be able to relate regardless. With the songs being written by different band members, the music and lyrics keep the album fresh. It’s not all twee, and, although predominately relationships form the subject matter, it’s not all heterosexual love songs. The zeitgeist has infiltrated this album, whereas mainstream bands stick with boy meets girl heteronormativity. I hope this is a reflection of where we are going. Whilst old white men argue that boys will be boys and that women can be cast aside in the pursuit of power, the Smittens show us that life goes on outside of the mainstream.
Track Listing:-
1 Three States2 Love is a Word
3 We're Gonna Fall
4 Cats for Cats
5 Season One
6 Second Choice Girl
7 Winter is Finally Here
8 Infinity Pools
9 Maybe It Is Me
10 Hi from Vermont
11 Kiss Me in the Morning
12 On the Back of Butterflies
13 Strong To Me (Warriors)
14 Prince of Sweden
Band Links:-
https://www.facebook.com/thesmittenshttp://www.smittens.com/
https://twitter.com/thesmittens
Label Links:-
http://fikarecordings.com/https://www.facebook.com/fikarecordings
https://twitter.com/fikarecordings
http://www.last.fm/label/Fika+Recordings
https://www.youtube.com/user/fikarecordings
live reviews |
Oldham Library, Oldham, 3/10/2010 |
As part of the new 'Get It Loud in Libraries' initiative, Dixie Ernill watches Sheffield-based band play a superb set iof sixties and C-86 influenced indie pop at Oldham Library |
soundcloud
reviews |
Love Record Breaker (2014) |
Eccentric ten inch vinyl and download only fifth album from Vermont-based twee pop band the Smittens with a rude and explicit sense of humour |
Dancing Shoes; The Smittens Remixed (2010) |
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