The Smith Street Band are back with a brand new record, and to all the fans out there, you won’t be disappointed. After what seemed like an endless touring schedule, the Melbourne based boys bunkered down in the beauty of the Otways, Victoria, to bring you Throw Me In The River, an 11 track LP rich in everything The Smith Street Band are known and loved for.

Unabashedly honest, the powerful lyrics of records past have been a driving force behind what makes this band so compelling, and Throw Me In The River is no exception. An undeniably skilled story teller, singer and front man Wil Wagner’s anecdotal musings have a way of making you aware of feelings you never even knew you felt. But not in a wussy way. They say fuck a lot.

Something I Can Hold in My Hands

Opening track of the new album ‘Something I Can Hold in My Hands’ perhaps somewhat ambiguously refers to the album itself. In classic Smith Street style, the track features the furious drumming of Chris Cowburn, the punk anthem cadence of lead guitarist Lee Hartney and bassist James Fitzgerald, and of course, the signature sort-of-singing, sort-of-ranting vocal style of Wil Wagner that has earned the band so much favour among fans. The lyrics “all my life I’ve known this is exactly what I should do”/“All I ever needed was something I could hold in my hands… and here it is” seem to serve as a prelude to the album that follows and an ode to the blood, sweat and tears that went into it’s creation.

Surrender

The first release from the record, “Surrender” has already received positive acclaim from fans and critics alike. A reoccurring theme throughout their previous work, the song is about refusing to grow up and say goodbye to youth, and about continuing to explore and adventure. “We should be climbing chainlink fences, with backpacks, nowhere to go”, Wagner professes.

Surrey Drive

‘Surrey Drive’ opens with one of the killer riffs The Smith Street Band have become known for. If you’re planning on catching any of their shows on their upcoming national Throw Me In The River tour this November, you can look forward to this one being a crowd favorite, and everyone in the room screaming to lyrics that have surely resonate with us all at some point or another… “So why don’t you FUCK OFF?”.

Calgary Girls

Fourth song on the album, ‘Calgary Girls’ is a considerably softer track than what you would ordinarily expect from Smith Street. Telling the story of a past love and the regrets that ensue, the track breaks up the sameness of other songs, and demonstrates how the band has matured in the two years since the release of the Sunshine and Technology (2012) LP.

East London Summer

London and New York were two of the major cities Smith Street toured over the last year, and this particular track suggests that they may have found one location to be less than welcoming. “Everyone in this city bar is just tryna’ sink their teeth into somebody else” the seemingly homesick Wagner sings of New York, while yearning for an “East London Summer”, or closer to home, a “North Melbourne Summer”.

The Arrogance of the Drunk Pedestrian

No one else but Wil Wagner could use the expression “shit storm”, and make it sound poetic and profound. Quite an impressive feat in itself, really.

Get High, See No One

Moving on to the second half of the 11 track LP, the record shows no signs of slowing down. Fast paced with some great riffs, the drums really make this song. Another track with themes pertaining to the bands recent overseas tour, there is of course a pressure that comes with being absent for extended periods of time. A sentiment that will resonate with most travellers, “everything should stop when you’re away”.

I Don’t Wanna Die Anymore

When considering the Throw Me In The River record as a whole, something that stands out is how particularly well Smith Street have succeeded in creating tracks that are perfectly balanced. A song about not giving up and giving life another crack, the elating and rousing sound behind ‘I Don’t Wanna Die Anymore’ couldn’t fit the song better.

It’s Alright, I Understand

One of the main things that draw people to The Smith Street Band’s music is how accurately they describe the feelings we wonder if anyone else ever feels. That, and the music is damn good. Both elements are strong in this song. It’s alright, they understand.

Throw Me in the River

Title track of the album, ‘Throw Me In The River’ is an immensely powerful song. Fluctuating from quiet, soft, emotive verses to a passionate rip roaring chorus, good luck not getting this one stuck in your head.

I Love Life

Undeniably one of the record’s top tracks, it’s as if they’ve saved the best for last. Triumphant and ecstatic, ‘I Love Life’ epitomises everything The Smith Street Band represent. Sometimes life’s tough, and things turn to shit and people screw you over, but “fuck ‘em, let ‘em talk.”

Throw Me In The River is out now via Poison City Records

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