by Brian Rill
Crestonian Dale Smith’s 2014 release of his newest folk rock album We Still Sing shows he hasn’t slowed musically. Just like 18 wheels rolling down the snowy highway of the San Luis Valley, Dale’s musical tome trudges through 15 tracks of acoustic and electric guitars dancing over polyrhythmic percussion. Dale is accompanied by the vocals and songwriting of his wife Patte Reaves-Smith, who also adds a touch of flair with her amazing cover art. Produced in Alamosa by Waverly Recording, this compilation envelopes a symmetrical layout by showcasing a number of songs with virtually the same arrangements. Dale Smith’s percussive background keeps the rhythms stable; however, ploughing through 14 tracks of verse-chorus-verse leaves one exclaiming as Led Zeppelin did in 1973, “Where is that confounded bridge?!”
With a voice that can only be described as Layne Staley the morning after Alice in Chains disbanded, Dale Smith’s sedentary vocal style settles upon the ear, momentarily catches pitch, then flutters away into a reverberating hall. The audio engineering is sound, yet it leaves something to be desired when the vocal mixes are buried under the instruments or obfuscated by reverb.
The album’s crowning gem is Be Careful Out There, with its sultry guitar riff and lingering vocals that draw one back to 90s acoustic grunge records. The only downside of this song is that running just over one minute, I found it far too short. Probably the best track to consider owning would be Ripples in the Rain, in which Dale takes the biggest risks musically. His thoughtful use of relative minors is refreshingly accompanied by deep, droning vocals that find a better fit above a single acoustic guitar. The epilogue Blueprints of Love is a heartfelt fingerpickin’ ballad attempting to render the emotional essence of romance into poetic form. It’s a folk gospel that decrees “pancakes on Sunday, stay in bed on Monday, long walks and great talks, cold feet in slipper socks.” Dale uses the subtlety of a man in love to profess his outline for a lasting relationship.
The strong acoustic guitar work of Eli Dokson harkens to a classic tone used by Pink Floyd and shines in the unplugged ballad Worlds Apart before commencing on an upbeat syncopated single cowritten by Dokson, Come on in the Door’s Open. This song includes a cameo from San Luis Valley recording artist Don Richmond, who provides his trademark smooth fiddle style. Richmond also brings his traditional banjo playing to the title track We Still Sing, a catchy, good-hearted tune about perseverance through the power of music. Prevalent on many of the songs is the lead guitar of Scott Russell, who fills in screaming solos during some midsections.
Overall I found that excessive reverb and boxy vocals give these recordings a bit of a rough exterior. The symmetrical arrangements of sometimes similar melodies leave one still yearning for a more dynamic experience. There are a few notable songs that I did appreciate, so think about picking up at least one of Dale Smith’s MP3s. If you find that intriguing, there are plenty more homophonic tracks to chose from.
Brian Rill is a troubadour, composer and poet.
