October 18, 2024

Freak Scene #36: Lesley Smith Makes Waves With Solo LP

Plus, Johnny Memphis wants to know who you're voting for.

A Guide to Music in Western Mass. (and sometimes Connecticut)

This week in Freak Scene, Lesley Smith releases her first solo album, Waves, and Johnny Memphis has a public service video, complete with glimpses of a local agri-tainment mainstay.

Singer and songwriter Lesley Smith has gone through a number of musical incarnations over the years, from a Clash-influenced power trio to a jammier thing — a circuitous journey that has brought the Shutesbury musician around to the soulful sound of her first-ever solo album, Waves, which is out Saturday. 

A veteran of the Valley groups Tribal Etiket and Swampgirl, Smith moved to Western Mass. for college (Hampshire and UMass), and then settled here after spending the better part of three years in Wales. When family and life intervened, Smith stepped away from performing for a decade or so, though she never stopped writing songs. Like plenty of other musicians (including Ginger Bug and Couchboy in last week’s newsletter), the pandemic refocused her on music. 

“I had space to reassess what is important to me, and it re-energized my creative follow-through,” Smith says by email. 

That manifested in the 10 tracks on Waves, which she recorded with Chris Ball at Fun Room Studio in Greenfield, with a cast of Western Mass. musicians (including Darby Wolf on keys; Bill Carbone and Dave Noonan variously on drums; and Dan Thomas, Nico D'Amico and Edward Redonnet contributing on guitar) serving as her band, the Dream. The songs reflect her musical influences over the years, from pop to groove to reggae, which she sings in area bands the Equalities and Green Island.

There are touches of reggae here in the breezy backbeat of “Everyday Is a Good Day in California” and the speedier “Odysseus Song,” which wouldn’t need much more a bright horn section and some checkered pants to work as ska. There are horns on “Stay This Way,” where Smith sings in sultry, smoky tones. She triangulates Annie Lennox and ’80s Heart on “Old as Time” as her vocals float through a haze of atmospheric keyboard textures. 

Smith shines brightest on a pair of songs late in the album. The first, “Offering My Heart,” is a bluesy R&B track with a taut rhythm and big, raucous guitar leads. The track is a duet that contrasts the mix of vulnerability and sass in Smith’s vocals with sandpapery, high-grit soul from Anthony Schauman. There’s a mysterious vibe on the title track, where Smith sings in sultry tones over a prominent bassline and restless early-aughts soul beat. It’s a song about opening yourself up to love even when it scares you, yet “Waves” has James Bond theme-song energy.

“It is really cool to look back and notice how all the facets of my musical expression show up in Waves,” Smith says. “I love so many different musical styles, especially music that makes you want to move while also expressing an emotion or telling a story.”

Johnny Memphis Wants You to Vote

In case you somehow weren’t aware, Johnny Memphis wants to remind you that there’s a presidential election happening in a few weeks, and it’s kind of a big deal. The Florence roots-rocker headed to Mike’s Maze in Sunderland to shoot a video for his version of a get-out-the-vote song, “Who R U Voting 4?”

Borrowing the tune from “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag” by Country Joe and the Fish, Memphis makes his preference clear. His electoral leanings are not likely to come as a surprise to folks living around here, but the underlying message is an important one: VOTE.

Memphis’ most recent non-election release was the EP Running Late, which came out in February 2023. He also put out a remixed version of his song “Dating Myself” to preview a greatest hits album that’s on the way.

Upcoming Concerts

Twisted Pine release their new album Love Your Mind today (Friday) on Signature Sounds, and wouldn’t you know it, they’re performing tonight at the Iron Horse, with Ali McGuirk. Tickets are here. Melissa Ferrick is there Dec. 4; more info here. Valley rock veterans FAT — the OG OGs — play a holiday show Dec. 22; tickets are here. Ryan Montbleau is there Jan. 25; tickets are here. The Bad Plus are back Feb. 15 (tickets). Vincent Lima performs March 11 with Marianne Beaulieu (tickets).

If you missed Les Derailleurs at the Iron Horse last month, you can catch them tonight (Friday) at Hawks & Reed in Greenfield, on a bill with the Basement Cats supporting the Feldons. Local jam group the TapRoots play Oct. 26.

Eclectic Americana quartet Big Richard performs Feb. 7 at the Drake in Amherst; tickets are here. The mighty Rebirth Brass Band is there Feb. 21; tickets are here.

Garrison Keillor comes to Bombyx in Florence on April 17; tickets are here.

Limber up, ska fans: New Haven third-wave legends Spring Heeled Jack plays the Space Ballroom in Hamden Dec. 27; tickets are here.

Faye Webster plays Feb. 25 at College Street Music Hall in New Haven; tickets are here.

The Drive-By Truckers come to District Music Hall in Norwalk Feb. 1; tickets are here.

Next week: Northampton’s Aaron Taylor-Waldman releases his first album, Concentric.

Freak Scene is always seeking submissions. You can send music for coverage consideration to erdanton at gmail or reply to this email. Check out these guidelines first.

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