Parker Smith – Short Street
This is an Atlanta singer-songwriter & it’s his 3rd LP planted deeper in Americana-roots soil than pure country. The subjects are primarily accumulated from Atlanta neighborhoods. There’s a change.
Parker even focuses on mobile homes, cold camping trips, heartland journeys & an optimistic vibe to his mother-in-law. Now that’s different too. The special relationship between mother & child, a love song from a married perspective, letting go of material things, an ode to a dog & an appreciation for the world. The set is a well-thought-out & engaging narrative.
Produced by Colin Agnew (drums/percussion/bgv) there are 8 street lights before you reach Short Street (Drops June 7/Independent). Parker presents himself as a latter-day John Prine type & no, he doesn’t sound like Prine, but he has that same sincerity, humor, storytelling ability & clever turn of phrases. Nothing’s rushed or off-handed. On “Air Stream,” Parker almost has a conversational style in laying out his lyrical tale.
With “Mothers,” (the mother-in-law song I referred to) — there’s more of a pop inflection in the tradition of the late Andrew Gold (“Lonely Boy”). The melody is upbeat, routine & lyrically indulging & with lots of musical flair & commercial appeal. Recalls also the fun that many of the late Roger Miller songs offered.
It’s obvious by track 3 that Parker Smith can offer lots of diversity in his showcase. Each succeeding tune has its signature & identity. Even the individual arrangements are creative & keep the tunes captivating. “Waves,” is a bit rockier than the others & it has a nice touch with a good guitar solo with crisp & well-groomed notes.
The songs come as an assortment. What Parker does – he stays in the same “body” of the song but puts a different shirt, suit & tie on each. Some are oxfords, some are boots & others are sneakers. It’s as simple as that.
The dog song “Oscar,” evokes a friendly John Denver distinction. What seems lightweight on the surface is performed with a tantalizing arrangement. None of the songs in this collection are dull. They’re all mannered with no showboating, wildness, or searing solos. The playing is maintained with a respectful nod to the song itself.
The title track “Short Street” is a rollicking street fair-type tune that’s melodically spacious. Parker’s song titles are relatively simple, nondescript — but the music pays off with plenty of interesting notes & relevancy. The playing on the LP is pop-rock perfected (sans that genre’s silliness at times). This is satisfying & pleasing.
Highlights – “Air Stream,” “Mothers,” “Waves,” “Oscar” & “Short Street.”
Musicians – Parker (guitars/vocals), Trygve Myers (bass), Christopher Case (keys), John Kingsley (pedal steel/lap steel & slide guitars/fiddle), with Casey Harper (bgv) & Michael Feinberg (upright bass – track 8).
Color image courtesy of Parker’s photo gallery/website. CD cover courtesy of the Estate of Oraien Catledge & Institute 193 – CD @ Bandcamp + https://parkersmithsongs.com/
Enjoy our previous coverage: Song Premiere: Parker Smith “Surround Sound“
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