When artist asks if you would like to review their album for your blog, it’s a bit of a kick but you also wonder if they are slightly cocky?
Rob Smith has every right to be cocky. ‘Throwing It All Away’ is Rob’s debut and was released in 2008. He wears his influences on his sleeve, The Stone Roses, Oasis, the heros of 90’s Britpop and for a change its nice to see an artist more popular abroad than in his own native land.
The album kicks off with an instrumental track called ‘The Jam’, nice introduction. Recorded and Produced by Colin Whelan, Conor O’Brien and Smith himself, its well recorded and mixed but occasionally the vocal levels could have been higher in the mix.
Smith fits right into the Britpop genre, his voice is actually a nice surprise. ‘Soul Shaker’ seems to melt all Smith’s influences into his own perfect four minutes of swagger. Smith is consistent in his songwriting, with a nice variety of song structures throughout this debut.
Standout tracks would be, along with ‘Soul Shaker’, ‘When Your Feet Were Dancing’. Honourable mention must also go to ‘Lasagne’, a hidden track at the end of the album where Smith shows off his sense of humour. Good ending!
www.myspace.com/robsmithireland
5 out of 6
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