The Valory Music Co.
****1/2
Conner Smith was born to be a songwriter. His mother, Jennifer Smith, worked in country music, and often interviewed singers and songwriters. Conner picked up on this and started writing songs from the time he was nine years old, developing into the kind of songwriter that Guy Clark, Don Schlitz, Dean Dillon, Paul Overstreet and Alan Jackson or any other of his songwriting influences, can take pride in knowing they had a hand in inspiring. On this aptly titled 5-song set, he keeps things straightforward. Its country compositions are lean, even simple—think Tom T. Hall or Skip Ewing—and serve as ideal vehicles for Conner’s primary gift as a mesmerising wordsmith. It’s mainly a sombre, yet ultimately compelling record that stands as a reminder of the creativity and talent the man exudes. Coming on the heels of last year’s excellent SMOKY MOUNTAINS debut album, the 24-year-old uses these recordings as a staging ground to propel himself forward, but here again, it’s vibrance and versatility that dominate these proceedings. Indeed, that youthful enthusiasm isn’t lost amid poise or professionalism. The deep emotion and excruciatingly honest expression of sadness in his songwriting still stick out and remind us why we fell for him the first time around. He takes us through farms, sunsets, and gardens and even references Shakespeare and Van Gogh, crafting gems about teenage heartbreak and friendship that make for the greatest songwriting of his career. Country radio may be slow to embrace Conner Smith’s inventive path, but it’s one that only true artists walk.
The opening title song leans into a slinky groove that develops into a rhythmic kick with a smoothness that feels like cruising through the city on a summer night. But apart from delivering the year’s most irresistible country chorus, this track is complete with a gentle nod to country music’s rich songwriting legacy as it establishes Conner Smith as a moving storyteller. How many times can you capture lightning in a bottle? When it comes to this guy, it seems as many times as he likes, as he repeats the trick with the reflective, yet upbeat Nostalgia. Like the previous track, this rolls along effortlessly and swirls around your head whilst also impacting the heartstrings, in a most pleasant fashion, that is quite irresistible.
He also emotes with a vocal style that’s equally effusive, one that at times has him sounding like a vintage back porch balladeer, especially on songs such as Faith From A Farmer and The Garden, both of which are embellished with more traditional trappings in a well-seasoned template. There’s a haunting fiddle and softly played piano accompaniment to the former, in which the music is as gut-wrenching as it is galvanising. As corporeal as it is spiritual, this is a compelling moral tale of life’s hardships with a comforting message of inner peace. Delicate acoustic guitar paints the lyrical landscape of The Garden, in which Conner’s gentle velvety vocals convey a deep longing, conjuring a James Taylor-esque sound. Nothing is sterilised here: Conner and the session band cut live on the floor, making the up-tempo country-rocker, Rollin’ Down The Road, sound particularly loose. Joined by co-writer Cleto Cordero, this has grit mixed with personality; fluency in their musicality, that’s expressive and imaginative ... sawdust thick, whiskey smooth. This succinct, five-song set, feels just right.
October 2024