REVIEW: All Smiles - Staylow and Mighty

All Smiles - Staylow and Mighty
MMM

All Smiles is the braindchild of Jim Fairchild, better known as guitarist for Grandaddy and, now, Modest Mouse. On All Smiles’ third full-length album, Staylow and Mighty, Fairchild crosses the jittery, lively, traveling guitar riffs of Modest Mouse with the orchestral, spacey instrumentation of Grandaddy. It’s an album that plays with a loose and easy character, never coming across as anything but a relaxed, creative outlet for Fairchild to take the songwriting reins.

Records these days can tend to get rather heavy-handed, or heavy-hearted, not necessarily in terms of production, but in terms of how they are executed. So many records are too precise and perfect in sound that you wonder where the humanness has gone. And while it’s true such records can also be especially enjoyable for how exact they are, there’s no denying that the raw emotion that fueled and inspired the music in the first place can, occasionally, get smothered by the sheen of production. Staylow and Mighty is an album with its imperfections – a sour vocal note here or there, for example – but that’s what makes it real.

A few listens through the album revealed Fairchild to have a striking similarity to one of the best songwriters of the past two decades: the late Elliott Smith. Like Smith, Fairchild performs with an underhanded confidence, playing more at the root of his emotions as opposed to shying away from wearing his heart on the outside. And like Smith, Fairchild sings with a vulnerable inflection that tells you he is being nothing but honest with what he’s saying. Fairchild might not have the strongest voice or the best control, but what he lacks in vocal grace, he makes up for in honesty, melodic phrases, and endearing inflection.

With a mix of adventuresome electric guitar riffs, acoustic guitar chords, piano, and the occasional synthesizer, Staylow and Mighty never settles into one sonic niche, moving from indie folk (“Trying to Wake You”) to indie pop (“Diana’s Throne”). At times, the multiple paths it travels down can leave the album feeling somewhat scatterbrained, but, in a way, half the fun is riding it out to see where the next track will go. The strongest moments – and the seemingly most confident moments, as well – are found on tracks such as “Virgil Shaw” and “Totem” that start with a foundation of Fairchild’s vulnerable delivery over just an acoustic guitar, building towards more vibrant and expansive instrumentation that captures the sprawling nature of Grandaddy. Other standout moments arise on tracks such as “Where the Feathers Fell,” a slow-burn rocker reminiscent of latter-era Built to Spill, and “Sun, Number Two,” a propulsive cut with moments of post-punk’s rhythmic attitude and a lead guitar riff that winds a web of notes for the ear to follow.

Staylow and Mighty is certainly not flawless, but it’s beautiful in its humanity and with its imperfections. Despite the album’s occasional sonic meandering, All Smiles never replicate any one formula from track-to-track, mixing up both instrumentation and style as the album progresses. It’s this variation that prevents the album from falling into a pattern, providing the music with an understated sense of wonder – both lyrically and musically. A first listen won’t reveal too much, but after a few listens and dives into the layers of acoustic strumming and teaming electric guitar riffs, it’s a playful effort. Staylow and Mighty, at heart, is an imperfect charmer that is rewarding in its unwillingness to confine itself to one direction.

Staylow and Mighty is out now on Small Aisles. Pick it up here or on iTunes. Stream some songs and more below.