The Smashing Times Share Monday in a Small Dull Town

I’m really frustrated with the Smashing Times; I had already decided what my favorite LP of the year was going to be, and here they are, wrecking my life with another great single from their next LP. There’s crisp jangles, warm melodies, a little bit of warbling in the vocals to add some distinction…and it’s all tied to this artistic video with a bit of a hazy wash to it. For me, there are two really incredible things that I love here. The first, it reminds me (in jangles and harmonies) of a really stoned version of Literature, whose record we put out years and years ago, like if they were playing an afterparty and didn’t want to wake the neighbors. The second thing is the way there’s this use of patience and space in the middle, letting the song breathe a little bit, which is completely delightful. This Sporting Life is out October 30th via K Records/Perennial Death.