Album Review // Smilo & The Ghost // Twang & Fire

Self-released

5/5 stars

For centuries, American music was rooted in a joyful voicing of loss and love. It embraced the difficult day-to-day along with the ethereal beyond. Think of a lilting murder ballad — pain so sweet, sorrow so pure. There's nothing more Americana these days than swimming upstream toward serenity and redemption and away from failure, pain, and regret. Smilo & The Ghost's latest album provides a lush window into our own battles and victories through the poetic transparency of Tyler Smilo's lyrics and rich voice. What breaks us, makes us. What doesn't break us, keeps trying. It's an album for those who enjoy the charged thunderstorm, for those who are curious about each scar. The invigorating tracks plow forward like a freight train with Smilo as the engineman. Compositions are slyly complex and naturally mesmeric. One can easily scoop up a handful of gems: "Shine," "The Farmer," "Head Glow," "Captain of the Ship," or "Already Dead." Is it shrewd calculation, fate, or luck that brings musicians of this caliber together? Smilo, McKillip, Wilber, DeCecco, and Tamulonis all lift the weight of these songs to higher levels with the ropes and pulleys of their experience and gifted musicianship. Catch these folks before they pick up more speed, away from this hometown scene.