Smith Westerns Idol

I find myself thinking that I've accidentally pressed play to a 70s glam-rock album each time that I start listening to Smith Westerns. Guitar riffs and power-pop choruses pull you in easily. The band released its third album, Soft Will, this year and has hit the road to tour.

I caught them for an Outside Lands night show at a small venue in San Francisco this past Thursday night. "They are so YOUNG!" was all that I could think as they stepped up to the stage. But alas, talent has no age. They played an impeccable set with great energy and charisma. The packed house was happy to have this intimate experience a night before they'd huddle up with thousands of other music-goers at San Francisco's Outside Lands Festival.

While I'm a big fan of the new album, the highlight of the night for me was when they began the frenetic and beautiful song from Dye It Blond, "Weekend." The crowd immediately responded by picking up the pace along with them. On the other end of the spectrum is the heavily synth-laced track, "Idol." This is one of the best tracks from Soft Will in which they seem to address their 70s rock idols. Smith Westerns is one of my favorite young bands and I'm excited to watch them continue to mature and continue delivering great music.

I was also happily introduced to the San Francisco band, Social Studies. I've been listening to their album, Developer, ever since. They've been tagged by several writers as one of the must-see shows at the festival, including our own Hannah Simon in her preview to Outside Lands.