Now, my Mother didn't smoke, but she said to me that for some people a cigarette and a great piping hot cup of coffee is the best thing in the fucking world and that is a really stupid reason to judge someone, now go wash your hands Jason, it's time for dinner.
Even with some years gone between then and now I can still agree with her completely. Amen to Mom, or God, as I like to call her. I get the feeling that David P. Smith does too, agree I mean. In other words, I don't think Smith is singing for corporate guys who golf on the weekends and light up cigars afterwards while they throw back a few light beers, nor are his songs for their suburban kids.
Smith is for real people, and their parents. These songs are about working class people, the ones who really dig a coffee (and smoke) break every four hours or so or when it dies down a little after lunch, before the dinner rush.
David P. Smith, on accordion no less, and his band's numbers are all great. You wouldn't hear this music in a diner or an old bar or a warehouse. The songs don't sound like they'd fit with those places. The songs are not rock and not pop, they aren't grin and bear it 'till five blue collar anthems. They are songs about getting through the day and drinking the night away, not actually for doing that to. Musical observations of blue collar lives, not for them are what these tunes are all about and they do a perfect job of capturing the booze soaked bleak and wonderful and romanticized lifestyle of the workaday masses.
The songs sway, porch swing in the summer like, the accordion providing the gentle push and guitar, drums, bass and horns, wonderful horns, filling in the 'ol back and forth. I don't know who plays the other instruments on this album, they're not listed on the sleeve nor the internet.
So in the spirit of the recent passing of Mickey Spillane, the author who provided book entertainment for millions and millions of the same working class people these songs are about, I attempted a few Hammer-esque beer and whiskey and ham sandwich on white bread guided prowls for the names…..To no avail…..But to these anonymous players I give praise.
The rollicking timing and comfortable sustaining energy and swing Americana sound fits the nature of these 13 songs like Jello fits the bowl it’s set in: relaxed but not too happy, yet truth-seeking and accepting-of-life sounding. Plus there is some crazy background hidden microphone on the street and in the corner of a bar background sounds hidden track thing which after a bit provides a really nice white noise piece in the comfort of your living room.
David P. Smith is also a BC artist whose painting you can check out on his webpage. It looks like he'll be touring around Western Canada this summer and this CD is yours at any nice record shop, yes buy, yes do it, it costs less than a pack of smokes and a sixer, but will last longer than a Tuesday night, and sound a whole lot better in a stereo.
