The music of Sills & Smith careens between pastoral folk, trippy indie rock, to progressive rock. A duet of singer/songwriters Jeremy Sills and Frank Smith, they have just released their sixth album of original music called: Maps – Burned or Lost with famed producer Phillip Victor Bova at Bova Sound in Ottawa. This recording is an epic musical journey, with 14 songs and close to 70 minutes of music. All the composers, musicians and singers on this album are from Ottawa, Canada. This duet will satisfy that hard to reach itch, like a long backscratcher of creative singer-songwriter-indie-rock. That’s the short of it!
Positives:
The duet is very creative in both melody and lyric themes. The songs are the corner stone that this album in built upon, songs dealing with loss, emotional pain, and questioning the world we live in. Each track is full of lyrical gems and the playing sets the vibe perfectly.
Bottom Line:
Sure, it’s cold in Canada, but Sills & Smith will make the time spent around the fire that much more warming with songs that contain solid melodies, thoughtful lyrics and a musical vibe that is from the 70s with a jacket of progressive rock. Maps - Burned or Lost is about excellent songwriting, and catchy guitar hooks. Smith's vocals have never sounded better, and the harmonies are well placed and add to the overall feel of the music. This duet is perfectly tuned to create the unexpected, and they have done just that with Maps - Burned or Lost.