Artist Description
Four decades of music mastery and songwriting craft come together on Chris Smither's latest collection, Time Stands Still
—a gripping mix of originals and potent covers. The new collection
comes out September 29 on Signature Sounds/Mighty Albert. Time Stands
Still puts the exclamation point on a legendary career that shows no
signs of slowing down. On the contrary, this blues and folk superstar
continues to build creative momentum.
His latest effort features a slew of tunes stripped down to their
essence, shining the spotlight on Smither's understated power as a
songwriter—one who taps into emotions at their most elemental and
powerful core. It's a reminder why artists as diverse as Bonnie Raitt,
Emmylou Harris and Diana Krall have mined Smither's catalog in the past.
He's teamed with producer and guitarist David "Goody" Goodrich and
drummer Zak Trojano to create a simple, yet emotionally powerful
musical landscape upon which to paint his blues and folk-fueled
narratives. As always, Smither's signature finger-picking style mixes
with his whiskey-meets-honey vocals to deliver intensely honest
meditations on life, love and loss.
Smither's 11th studio album was recorded in just three days and
captures the vibrant urgency and immediacy of his live shows. It
features eight original compositions as well as covers from Bob Dylan,
Mark Knopfler, and 1920s country-blues songster Frank Hutchison.
Equal parts existential inquisitor and day-to-day chronicler, Smither
has an innate ability to imbibe songs dealing with contemporary issues
with a timeless quality. Whether playfully dealing with parenthood on
"I Don't Know" or acting the seducer on "Don't Call Me Stranger," the
brokenness of the blues is never far away. Every song is seeped in
emotion, burnished with wisdom of hard-fought knowledge. Like the
master craftsman he is, Smither always marries the right melody with
thought-provoking, heart-and-soul rending lyrics. Nowhere is that more
evident than on the soulful title track. Building on a toe-tapping
beat, Smither's voice plaintively sings "I kissed her twice at the
speed of light and time stood still," perfectly capturing and
immortalizing one of the small moments that give so much meaning in
life.
Like all great blues and folk masters, Smither doesn't wallow in the
darkness. Rather he illuminates it, and the songs on Time Stands Still
shine a light on the intricacies of the human condition.
His insights and creativity are finding new outlets. He recently
contributed a short story for the new book, Amplified (Melville House),
a collection of 16 stories by some of today's most compelling
performing songwriter. His story, "Leroy Purcell" kicks off the
collection.
Burgeoning literary powerhouse, distinctive guitarist, captivating
storyteller and song poet—there's no end to Chris Smither's creative
talents. He's got so much going on, don't be surprised if his latest
collection of music makes Time Stand Still.
Comments on This Artist
Probably the finest fingerpicker alive today.
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