Comments
Smoking Popes, The
Stay Down
When asked how vocalist Josh Caterer’s approach has changed with making post-conversion The Smoking Popes music, bassist (and brother) Matt Caterer commented (in Reax Magazine): “It doesn’t seem to me that the subjects are too dramatically different now. The songs are still about chicks – they’re just his wife and daughter now.” And few artists explore the joys and pains of “chicks” better than Josh Caterer. Yet how he was able to combine a Modern English reference (“I’ll stop the world and melt with you”) with a The Smiths paraphrase (“We felt the soil over our heads”) is beyond comprehension. The Smoking Popes certainly haven’t changed much musically. Opener, “Welcome to Janesville” swings to a semi-rockabilly beat, while “First Time” ends Stay Down with a gently, acoustic guitar-driven landing. Stay Down includes both the apathy (“If You Don’t Care”) and hope (“It’s Never Too Late (For Love),” just like every other wonderful The Smoking Popes CD. [Appeal] Dan Macintosh
This album review was not printed in the November/December issue (#134) of HM Magazine, and thus is an online exclusive. Order the print version of this issue online or find this issue on newsstands. If you're a subscriber, you get a free online/digital subscription with your print subscription. You can purchase a single online/digital edition (which includes access to back issues) for only $1.99. A one-year digital-only subscription can be had for only $6.
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