All Smiles is back with its third full-length release, Staylow and Mighty. Primary force behind All Smiles, Jim Fairchild of Grandaddy and Modest Mouse, writes catchy, light rock songs that have plenty of whimsy, but are kept grounded with focused guitarwork. Also playing on the album are The Cribs’ Gary Jarman, Danny Seim of Menomena, and Joe Plumber of Modest Mouse. Opening track “Captives” sounds very much like a Modest Mouse song, minus Isaac Brock’s punctuating vocals. Shades of Bright Eyes and Built to Spill can also be heard on “Virgil Shaw” and “Where the Feathers Fell,” respectively. That’s not to say Staylow and Mighty simply apes these bands, but Fairchild seems to infuse each song with its own personality, which makes for a slightly disjointed listening experience from beginning to end. Overall, this is a pretty nice mix of low-key/mellow and more guitar-driven tracks. – Written by DBosket
SIMILAR | Admiral Radley, Bright Eyes, Jason Lytle, Modest Mouse, Elvis Perkins