by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
With the last Smirk release (just barely) over a year old, it feels like an eternity. The world needs more Smirk. Thankfully, the world is about to get more Smirk, as Nick Vicario (Crisis Man, Public Eye, Cemento) returns with his first true full length, Material. Due out November 18th via Feel It Records (Delivery, CLASS, Why Bother?), the album is a whirlwind of twangy post-punk and raw garage rock songs, picking up somewhere between where The Gun Club left off and a dizzyingly raw knack for basement punk. It’s a record that brings light to a dark world, buzzing and rattling with a nuanced energy, wildly sputtering at times and fully locked in at others. Vicario places equal emphasis on songwriting and structure, offering a pointed view while ripping their way forward, with rhythmic textures and synths coloring outside the lines.
“Souvenir,” the album’s lead single carries it’s own type of charm, with pop hooks and a touch of 80’s new wave bliss. The song is as immediate as Smirk gets, with a power-pop essence that radiates well beyond the bridge and reverb soaked guitars. There’s a familiar comfort to Vicario’s songwriting, offering earworms around every corner, channeling into something shimmering and direct, a washed out swoon loaded with guitars, synths, and a sun-kissed attitude. The video, directed by Nate Kahn, features an aquatic theme as Vicario takes us beyond the fishbowls of the pet store as the band end up underwater before a dip into the pool and a trip to the beach.