Shawn Smith

I was first introduced to the band Brad in high school. Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam played in Brad, along with other Seattle luminaries Regan Hagar, and Jeremy Toback. Pearl Jam was at an all time high, so their side projects were seen as gold. Of course, it wasn’t long before the Pearl Jam backlash occurred, casting a pallor on the side projects as well. I never tired of Brad though. Mostly because Stone Gossard wasn’t the frontman who was steering the band. Brad’s singer was Shawn Smith, a relative unknown at the time, and he was the one who gave Brad it’s real flavor.

Smith, a prolific songwriter and collaborator, besides working solo, also sings with Satchel and Pigeonhed, as well as doing guest spots with the Twilight Singers and the Afghan Whigs. His falsetto and choice of mellow grooves shows his love of 70’s and 80’s soul and funk. His appreciation of slow ballads comes across in his piano/organ work. And he occasionally exhibits a flair for GnR style epics.

His usually upbeat lyrics, Christopher Cross* voice, and easy-going rhythms can have him categorized as Muzak. Smith reveled in an interview on Ink19, “Once maybe twice I heard [a Brad song] in the store… my mom’s heard it. I heard it in a local supermarket. I was kind of depressed and heard it and was like ‘How can I be depressed with that playing?’” Don’t be afraid of the Muzak comparisons or connections to Pearl Jam**. His music is pure quality. But, like they say on Reading Rainbow, “You don’t have to take my word for it!”

Recommended Tracks:

• Wrapped in My Memory / Shawn Smith (solo)
• It Ain’t Easy / Brad
• So the Heart Can See / Shawn Smith (solo)
• Takin’ It Back / Brad
• Buttercup (iTunes sample) / Brad
• This is by far the best Shawn Smith song ever, I wish I had the full track for you

* Just for the record, Christopher Cross is still cool.
** Pearl Jam’s really not all that bad either. You just can’t get caught admitting you own their albums when mingling with hipsters. I think I just ruined my credibility with these two footnotes.