Customer Reviews

Slash & Burn

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Stephan Smith is a gem among the arists of today: a poet as well as a musician. His themes are far-reaching, thought-provoking, and quite touching, exposing the hipocrisy of poverty in a time of incredible affluence. And he sounds amazing, mixing genres as if they didn't exist. The songs are honest, the album staggering.

Stephan Smith's "Slash & Burn" is a modern protest set from an imaginative young artist. Smith, whose father is Iraqi, is not a fan of the current president. "You Ain't A Cowboy" with its blatant George Bush imitation bites hard at the Republican elite, "Don't be scared, I ain't even going to use your name when I pick apart your head, bring your whole life to shame. You ain't nothin' but an oil tycoon, you ate your whole life from a silver spoon, the whole country knows you're an aristocrat goon, but you still ain't got the sense to know when it's high noon, your daddy bought you a ranch, you thought it was cool, you drank mint juleps by the swimming pool & flunked school while the hired hands did all the work, you carried on & partied like a frat boy jerk, you see we rode the herd while you got a free ride, what your kind represents makes my grandma cry." "Unspeakable Love" is a stirring ballad that rises melodically with Smith's vocals that are often compared to Woody Guthrie sounding quite Arlo-like in vocal quality. "Taking Aim" is a progressive political rap with a Lou Reed-like chorus and some stinging guitar, "I'm taking aim at the next world, you're in the way." "Lee Kyung Hae" has Asian musical flourishes in this ballad about a South Korean farmer thrown off his land. On the title track, Smith boldly takes on the music industry that promotes product over artistry. "Slash & Burn" is a bold and moving set. Not each track is consistently strong, but it is moving political music. Enjoy!

The more I learn about the context of Stephan's music, the more I understand why I love it. Here is a link to a recent interview with Stephan Smith: <a href="http://www.newtopiamagazine.net/archives/content/issue20/features/troubador.php">link</a>

Okay, I'll admit that the song "Break the Bread" is a catchy enough song, the type of song one might hear sung around the campfire at a Church Camp a few years down the line. Granted, perhaps the sour taste that this album left in my mouth is the result of the hype and praise of the "modern Woody Guthrie" label that seemed to have been pinned to singer/songwriter Stephan Smith. It is undeserved, to say the least. His songwriting is not particularly original and his performances are not particularly incredible. Sometimes there is a wit to his songs...other times they are marred by being a bit too precious or, even worse, from being a downright mediocre and pedestrian. Don't believe the hype...this guy is nowhere in the same league as Woody Guthrie (nor with any of the great singer/songwriters). He is a mediocre talent whose hype does not come close to matching his minimal talents.
Save yourself a few dollars with this one... and spend it on a Smithsonian recording of one of the true greats (or spring for truly rising talents such as Conor Oberst).