“A Beautiful Noise” is the lead track taken off of the forthcoming Charlie Smyth album, The Way I Feel. It’s a collection of songs written and recorded with Smyth’s wife Kalee and produced by Andy Gibson (Hank III, Nashville Pussy) that waivers between a subdued old-school country record and upbeat Southwestern influences. During the former, there’s plenty of acoustic guitar, a bit of pedal steel, occasional fiddle and a focus on the lyrical storytelling.
“A Beautiful Noise” (and other tracks like “Shore” or “Don’t Let the Stars Get In Your Eyes“) turn up the energy a bit, showcase some horns and harken back to a time that feels more Old West than it does Front Porch strumming. Neither of those is meant to be preferential to the other, just a remark on the variety of styles contained with the record.
Smyth is also a visual artist with a body of work containing a smatter of smeared colors and indistinct shapes in a sea of textures. He’ll be celebrating the release of the record at The Local on Friday, July 13th. Let’s hope he brings the horns.