Rising country star Conner Smith will release his debut album – Smoky Mountains – tomorrow.
At 23 years old, Conner Smith has made a name for himself as one of Nashville’s most hotly-anticipated new artists, even before the release of his debut album out tomorrow. The album is a powerful statement of intention in the way that Smith seamlessly fuses bluegrass melodies and 90s country sound with a very current Nashville production, all delivered through his signature, honeyed vocal. The album is deeply personal and the lyrics are profound and tender – it’s clear that the album is the product of a long journey, honing his sound and lyricism from the pre-released tracks ‘I Hate Alabama’ and ‘Take It Slow’ to the polish of new tracks like ‘God Moments’. Of the album, Smith shares, “I think it really shows all the different things that make me ‘me’ – as a songwriter, a vocalist and as a performer.”
Smoky Mountains sets the tone for the record – a flawlessly delivered modern-sounding version of ‘Take Me Home Country Roads.’ It’s a boot-stomping, hand-slapping, barn-raising honky tonk singalong of a track. ‘Sing me a song of the smoky mountains / I’ll be home by the sun.’ The song paints a vivid picture of the mountains of Tennessee, while conjuring up images of campfire singalongs. It’s comforting, with an inherent yearning for home at its core that makes it immensely charming.
The following pre-released track ‘Creek Will Ride’ hits you like a classic country wave, riddled with fiddle and driving guitar and drums, sweeping you up in its momentous flood of melody. It’s filled with nods to his bluegrass roots, while remaining firmly rooted in the modern day sound of Nashville.
Smith reveals more of his heart on this record, allowing his soulful vocals to power through – noticeable on the powerful duet with Hailey Whitters – ‘Roulette on the Heart’ where a more simple melody lays focus on the pair’s vocals and lyricism, as they sing back and forth about taking a chance on love. ‘Oh, I know this game ends one of two ways / Are you going to break me, are you going to save me? / Loving you baby is roulette on the heart.’ Co-written by Smith with Jessi Alexander, Chase McGill and Mark Trussell, the track is laced with classic country sounds in the use of Dobro and their own signature vocals.
Smith is perhaps at his best on his boot-stomping honky tonk anthemic tracks – from ‘Heatin’ Up’ a raucous track about a love story heating up that powers along to a twanging and thumping conclusion to the cheeky, flirtatious ‘Trouble’ featuring the refrain – “She’s the kind of trouble worth getting into” and the grooving and swaggering ‘Baby, I,’he channels the energy of a live set into every word.
The album has a heftier emotional weight than his previous material and releases. The central masterpiece of the album lies at the halfway point in the double punch of ‘Meanwhile in Carolina’ and ‘Boots in the Bleachers.’ The former is a pensive track about a love that is meant to be. It’s careful and measured song in its lyrics, laying out the story of two hearts finding each other, one from Tennessee and one from Carolina. Co-written with Blake Pendergrass, the story of Smith and his fiancé is tenderly and delicately written – a real testament to their love story – and brims with emotion. The latter is a love story of a different kind – an ode to a small town. It’s a gorgeously, vividly painted story, powerfully delivered. ‘Round here it’s all country on the speakers / Red, white ‘Go Eagles’ on the T-shirts.’
The final two tracks pack a similar emotional punch. “Regret In the Morning” is a lingering track about a boy becoming a man, simply and tenderly delivered. It’s raw and shows Smith growing into his artistic boots. The album is rounded off with ‘God Moments’ a simple track about finding the one.
More than anything, Smoky Mountains rounds out the picture of Smith as an artist – shading in his emotions into technicolour and showing he is more than just raucous live tracks (though he has a knack with those). This album feels like a starting point for an artist with a bright future ahead of him.
Creek Will Rise Us Tour Dates
January 18 | Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club^
January 19 | Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE^
January 20 | Medina, OH – Thirsty Cowboy^
January 25 | Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theatre^
January 26 | Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl Nashville^
January 27 | Tuscaloosa, AL – Druid City Music Hall^
^ Lauren Watkins
* John Morgan
