Smith & Myers are 1/2 of the hugely successful rock band, Shinedown. Comprising of Brent Smith who is the vocalist and Zach Myers on guitar. While Volume 1 and 2 is their first album. They have released a few EPs which were purely covers and also toured during gaps in the Shinedown schedule. Playing covers and Shinedown songs. It very much seems like a fun side project for the two of them which has gathered momentum and now a debut album has reached fruition.
One thing this album does raise to me though, is that is it really all about the music? Or is it more than that? is it the way the album is comprised and made up. The reason I say this is that Smith & Myers have not taken a conventional approach to this album in any shape or form. Which in term makes it very unique. But is this a good thing? They call this a double album which is made up of 10 songs on volume 1 and 10 songs on volume 2. They have done 10 cover songs and 10 original songs. Instead of splitting down the middle and putting out a covers album and an album of original songs. They alternate covers with originals on each albums so its 5 and 5 on each album.
This does in itself raise challenges as the album feels more of a collection of songs rather than what I would deem an album to be. For example when you listen to Shinedown's last album "Attention, Attention" it very much has a beginning, middle and an end and the way the album flows is amazing. But with this release, having covers dotted about all over it doesn't have that same flow. Sometimes also I just want to get into the new tracks they have released that I want to get into where as the covers I have heard most of them all before many, many times. Don't get me wrong Smith and Myers do put their own spin on the songs they cover but essentially you still know the songs.
But really that's all the issues I have with the release. In terms of the actual songs Brent and Zach prove yet again that they really are a cut above in terms of song writing and performance. I absolutely love the original songs they have done on both volumes. Favourite songs from Volume 1 are "Coast to Coast" and "Not mad enough". Favourite songs from volume 2 in particular are "Bad at Love", "New school shiver" has a really good upbeat tempo about it and "GBL GBD" has some great lyrics.
In terms of the covers "Rockin n the free world" and "Valerie" are my favourites from Volume 1. On Volume 2 it does feel like a totally different version of Billie Ellish's "Bad guy" since its acoustic. And for me the best bit of the original is the quiet vocals launching into the frenzied crazy beats. But I suppose with covers its about making them sound like your own and doing something different with them and Smith and Myers have certainly done that here. "Losing my religion" they absolutely nailed. I do think they missed a trick on the Oasis cover of "Don't look in back in anger." The piano intro to that song is legendary and instantly recognisable. And here Zach does it on an acoustic guitar which doesn't quite have the same impact. But to be fair to them after the intro Zach nails the vocals and this is such a poignant song to finish on especially for fans who went to the Shinedown show in Manchester a few years back where Zach performed this song.
Overall I would say this is a collection of songs rather than an album. But does it really matter? I don't think so. As far as I'm concerned if Smith and Myers are going to produce music which is this good they can do whatever they want.
