Next to having played guitar in both Grandaddy and Modest Mouse, Jim Fairchild also has a solo project called All Smiles. It’s under that moniker that he has now released his second album “Oh For The Getting And Not Letting Go”. At the same time he also recorded an EP called “Fall Never Fell” which should come out later this year. His co-producers Solon Bixler and Nik Freitas not only fiddled with knobs, they also helped out with the songs along with Modest Mouse drummer Joe Plummer.
Enough about the line-up though, what do the songs sound like? Well, they are all tunes with poppy qualities and distorted guitars. Kinda reminiscent of Grandaddy but then again, not quite. The man’s vocal harmonies along with the guitar provide a solid foundation which he then builds upon by adding the sweet sounds of a xylophone, a piano and an acoustic guitar.
Fairchild has a knack for writing beautiful melodies and an ear for detail and arrangements that you can easily pick up on because all of the songs trickle along at a gentle pace. The whole just sends out mellow vibrations yet has a sense of loneliness hanging over it as well. Maybe the move from the sunny state of California to the cold city of Chicago had anything to do with that?
Anyway, I’m really digging this album that manages to combine elements from pop and rock from a singer/songwriter point of view in a smart way. So maybe I should settle for Grandaddy meets Elliott Smith?
Score: 7.5 out of 10
no label
http://www.allsmilesmusic.com
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