A friend played Graham Smith for me shortly before I left Atlanta for the summer. I was sitting on a stuffed cardboard box in his packed up apartment when he put on "USHC Brand Men's Jeans" and completely floored me. The song evolves so nicely but never repeats itself. There is no central refrain or loaded reprise, just the steady progression of ideas towards their comfortable, although not entirely obvious, conclusions. I guess I could just call it indie rock with a power pop tint, but that doesn't sound especially exciting.

I got this album over the weekend and "USHC Brand Men's Jeans" is now situated comfortably in my iTunes' Top 25 Most Played. I guess it's a good thing that I'm writing about this now, because I am definitely going to burn this one out very fast.

It is definitely worth noting that Graham Smith doesn't repeat himself lyrically. Ultimately it is a practice that will limit his appeal, but when he pulls it off, it is pretty impressive. It's obviously more challenging to construct a song without a chorus to fall back on. We've all heard songs that sound like the artist is trying to kill time until he or she gets back to the hook. A great chorus acts as a crutch to some extent. It's nice to see someone step away from the framework and take the risks Smith is taking.


Ushc Brand Mens Jeans - Graham Smith