Free to Stay

Smoosh | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 6, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Barsuk
• ASIN: B000FFP08M
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #224,705 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Even in an alternate universe where it wasn't necessary to have dozens of "girls can rock... too!" cover stories throughout the 1990s, the young women of Smoosh (who can rock, too!) would still be exceptional. See, these Seattle-based sisters have been making intriguing music together since 2002, when they were eight and ten years old. This drums and keyboard duo was instantly a minor phenomena (perhaps unintentionally tapping into indie-rockers' obsession with childhood concerns), opening up for the likes of Death Cab for Cutie and Cat Power in venues they had to be escorted to by their parents. And while there is an element of novelty to their songs (sample lyric: "What about macaroni--let me finish--salad?"), they’re also smart, funny, and fun as hell. Their second album and first for powerhouse indie Barsuk, Free to Stay, is loaded with complex harmonies and awesome distorted keyboard sounds (hey, this is what Quasi were supposed to sound like!). The vocal style owes more to contemporary pop than emo, which is a good thing, especially since the melismatic stuff is kept at a minimum. Free to Stay is fully excellent. --Mike McGonigal

Product Description

Smoosh write and play music that captures the pure enthusiasm and unadulterated bliss of making art for the joy of it. The band is made up of two sisters, aged 12 and 14; one playing drums and the other handling keyboards and vocals. This is their second record, and they've toured with Jimmy Eat World, The Go! Team, and Mates Of State. They've also played with the likes of Rilo Kiley, Pearl Jam, Death Cab For Cutie, Sufjan Stevens, Sleater-Kinney, and Cat Power (the latter of whom paid tribute to Smoosh by including a lip-sync performance of one of their songs in her live set).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Free to Stay better than She Like Electric, June 13, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Free to Stay (Audio CD)

Smoosh consists of 2 girls, ages 12 and 14, who play keyboard and drums. Asya does lead vocals and keyboard. Chloe plays drums. They both are an awesome sister act and are really pros. Their first CD, She Like Electric, was filled with be-bop and experimental, such as "RAD", which was a rap song about soccer. Not my first choice. Some songs were just plain silly, like "The Quack" and I can totally see why they did that, because I'm a tween too, and I would want to do that! (I'm 12) This CD, Free to Stay, has still an innocent feel, but more moodier, sadder, and more feelings. In She Like Electric, it was just plain fun. In their latest CD, the mood is deeper and feels sad, with mystique. You can tell the girls are maturing with their songs. They're not just a debut indie rock band anymore, they're emerging into the real world. It's a wonderful feel, and I love it so much. She Like Electric is a boat of fun, and I love it too, but Free to Stay is so much more pretty.

Liza A., Age 12

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can they beat their first album?, July 12, 2006

By 

The Blue Raja (MD, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Free to Stay (Audio CD)

The Smoosh debut album was a charmer; playful, passionate, and melodic. "Free To Stay," though similar in instrumentation and setup, soars ahead with more sophisticated flare without losing the innocence and sincerity of the last album. What's different is a more solid, marketable album demonstrating an amazing maturity by this young duo. Here are a few notable highlights from this solid album:

"Waiting for Something" is an incredibly powerful ballad that features acoustic guitar (the only cut that does actually), and Asya's vocals here would fool anyone that she's 14. Along with "Slower than Gold," these ballads give us an accurate preview of her career as a vocalist in the future, which is more than promising. If you wish to hear another great example, look for Asya's performance on Head Like a Kite's track "Noisy At the Circus" from the album "Random Portraits of the Home Movie".

"Rock Song" is just that, a ROCKIN' song; powerful, energetic, and an incredibly strong chorus. Was this really written by a 14-year-old? Maybe Asya should be writing for some older bands. Amazing.

"Clap On" is a jazzy tune that, again... amazing song writing! Brilliant chorus.

"Find a Way" is the single (or first single) from the album... though perhaps not officially released (yet?), it is obvious this would be the single, and there's even a great music video for this cut, so look out for it. At any rate, this is the album's greatest strength, and tightest song all in all; catchy, strong, just incredible.

When comparing both Smoosh albums, I like both for different reasons. I tend to listen to "She Like Electric" more often, even though I feel this album is stronger as an album. Perhaps the charm of the first album appeals to me more as at times it is more obvious that these are young kids having a good time with music, whereas "Free to Stay" is a greater stride towards complete band success to be recognized for the music entirely, and not the age of the creators. It will be very interesting to see where these girls are 5 years from now. Let's hope they've already proven they can skip American Idol and go right to the top :P

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Evolving band's second album creates greater expectations, July 11, 2006

By 

Paul Allaer (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Free to Stay (Audio CD)

Two years ago Smoosh released its debut album, "She Likes Electric", which was pleasant and quirky but with too many uneven moments to make it an all-around solid album. With much anticipation, we now get the band's second album.

"Free to Stay" (12 tracks, 37 min.) starts off with a blazing "Find a Way" and the message is clear and immediate: the band's drums-and-keyboard sound has progressed a lot since "She Like Electric", and for the better. We have real songs here, not just a quirky and "experimental" sound. Check out the poppy title track, and "I Would Go", an upbeat track. "Rock Song" finds the band rocking harder than ever. Another highlight is "She's Right", with nervous energy abounding everywhere, and a fuller sound again by a bass-like keyboard. Closer "Slower Than Gold" is a beautiful and pensive ballad, and the perfect way to end the album. I can't wait to see how these songs translate in a live setting, and where the band goes from here.

I have purposefully not mentioned until now that Smoosh consists of 2 sisters, ages 14 and 12. The curiosity factor around Smoosh is so high that inevitably the band comes out short-changed. Which is truly regrettable, as "Free to Stay" shows substantial artistic growth from "She Likes Electric", and I can't wait to see how these songs translate in concert. Highly recommended!