Underappreciated Artist Chris Smither

"I don't think I see much of anything for me in visions of the past or the ever-after. Now is what can be, all the rest is wait & see, those prophets never hear that cosmic laughter."

I would like to take the time to shed some light on who I consider to be a great, and underappreciated musician, guitarist, and lyricist. I am talking about Chris Smither, who, while not exactly unpopular, in my opinion, should be more popular than he currently is. His latest and 12^th album, Leave the Light On, is a worthy sequel to his growing repertoire of music. His writing and guitar picking have never been better.

He has a way of manipulating words and rhymes into witty little snippets of melodic genius that, not only create great music, but at times, portray the life of the man that writes them. Take the lines "I'll just sit back in the shade while everyone gets laid, that's what I call intelligent design" in the incredibly clever Origin of Species. I would recommend taking a listen to various songs throughout his career, some of my personal favorite being Train Home, No Love Today, I Am the Ride, and What Was It You Wanted. The quote at the top of the page comes from Train Home, on the album of the same name.

Aside from the lyrical qualities of his songs, he also has a voice that seems to resonate with the music. It's low, bluesy, soulful, at times moody, and just has an overall natural feel to it that makes it incredibly joyous to listen to. This is not to mention the distinctive finger-picking technique he uses that blends well with the rhythm of his voice and seemingly cannot be imitated. At least, I have yet to hear something resembling it.