Is Smoosh outsider music, in the vein of the Langely Schools project? Are they pop prodigies like Hanson? Or are the 12- and 14-year old sisters Asya and Chloe teeny-boppers who would be bound for Radio Disney if not for their indie street cred? Well, as it turns out, the answer is none of the above. Smoosh is a band, pure and simple, albeit one that represents the worldview of the young ladies and all of the possibles and few of the limitations that you might expect to come with it. After their debut She Like Electric became an underground favorite, Smoosh opened for the likes of Cat Power, Mates of State, and Death Cab (whose drummer Jason McGerr was the sisters’ music teacher and the closest thing to a svengali in this story). On the follow-up, Free to Stay, the music is strikingly accomplished, consisting of throbbing organ, fleeting arpeggios and a sturdy backbeat, especially on the funky “Glider� and the propulsive “She’s Right.� While you might wish for a few less ‘yeah, yeahs’ and ‘heys� in the lyrics, most songs are earnest efforts about trying hard, finding one’s way and figuring it all out. Your preference for this album may come down to how you feel about unpolished pop rock; after all, the girls just play what they know. The fact that it comes out as indie rock is, as the sisters are free to admit, not because they are trying to do so. Luckily for us, they’re pretty good at it.
-Bob Mallon
(Release date: June 20, 2006)
