NEWS4U DECEMBER 2021 | MUSIC
THE SMOKE
RINGS Southern Illinois rock trio back again with upbeat, stripped-down California Gold
Don't be alarmed, but The Smoke Rings are on fire - creatively
divide. Dominated by 6 and 12-string acoustic guitars and peppered with mandolin and ukulele, Acoustiverse dazzled with its expert musicianship and mature songwriting. But there's no buzz quite like band chemistry; just like on Modern Days, Jake sounds stoked to be back in the fold with The Smoke Rings' rock-solid rhythm section. Brother Chris and Jenks really bring this collection to life, especially on the heavier, grooveoriented tracks like "80 Dollar Guitar" and "Crystal Ball" - the former of which brings to mind Watts and Wyman locking in on a Stones classic, while the latter gets down and dirty like a bluesy, harmonica-drenched "Bang a Gong," complete with handclaps. Equally rhythm-driven is "Mountain Slide" which effectively amps up The Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows," concluding with a delightfully noisy, extended instrumental jam. Edging more towards the Modern Days vibe, the fuzzed-out "Space Ramp" glides along on a Doobie Brothers-esque guitar riff paired with cosmic lyrics. "Do It All Again," meanwhile, echoes Acoustiverse with its chiming mandolin and philosophical bent ("If I could tell you one thing about everything that's
speaking, that is. Earlier this
happened, I'd do it all again")
year, the Southern Illinois
and "Sooner Than Later" takes
rock trio blessed the tri-
a page from Elvis Costello's
state with the spacey, multi-
playbook,
layered Modern Days, the
stabbing guitar chords and
first physical release from the
an infectious, insistent melody
band in ages. They were just
straight from the late 70s.
getting revved up, however.
Then there's "Always Moving
A mere six months later,
On," a minor-key ska exercise
guitarist/vocalist Jake Martin,
that recalls Great Britain's
drummer Chris Martin and
classic Two-tone days. But
bassist Adam Jenks have
California Gold's best track -
returned with California Gold,
or most emotionally affecting,
a stripped-down good time
at least - is surely "Thunder
that finds this ambitious three-
& Rain" which would fit quite
piece getting back to rock &
nicely on the Dead's American
roll basics, often mining T. Rex for inspiration while also referencing the likes of the Doobie
employing
Beauty with its gentle acoustic strumming and Jake's wistful vocals.
Brothers and the Grateful Dead. And yes, the album's 10 tracks are just as refreshingly organic as that all sounds.
California Gold is bookended by two disparate tracks joined together via the sound of the ocean - fading in on the raw,
Co-produced by Bill Watson, California Gold is actually Jake's
one-for-the-road title track/lead single and fading out on the
third music project dating back to late 2020 when he debuted
calming, surf-inspired instrumental "Land's End." No better way
a magnificent solo work that examined the country's growing
to open and close this upbeat, easy-going album.
For more info, follow The Smoke Rings on Facebook. California Gold will soon be available on major streaming platforms.
34 | DECEMBER 2021
• www.evansvillemediagroup.com
