NEW MUSIC SPOTLIGHT: HOPELESS BY SMIRK
Smirk – the L.A. scene’s current “it” band – are among the latest and greatest to emerge from an ever-expanding subgenre of post-punk in which discerning the innovators from the imitators can prove to be a difficult task. But a few seconds’ listen to the group’s latest single is all it takes to realize that Crisis Man alumni/chief Smirk songwriter Nicholas Vicario has perfected his own unique formula.
Copious amounts of analogue warmth, sizzle-fried guitars, those signature bratty yet subdued vocals, – “Hopeless” possesses all the hallmarks of the classic Smirk sound heard on the group’s spasmodic debut LP, augmented this time around by a little bit of polish.
Fans of contemporary Devo-tees like Angry Angles and Total Control will be in familiar territory here, but there’s also an undeniable regional influence; “Hopeless” fuses the DTLA dumpster-dive vibe of L.A. punk icons like the Weirdos with the jangle-pop sensibilities of Laurel Canyon giants like The Mamas and Papas. That being said, Vicario’s lyrical ruminations on urban decay categorically fall somewhere in between the despondent anarchism of Life of Crime and the dismal gloom of California Dreamin’:
“I always knew that this city was shit, man, and look at it now –
It finally looks like it does in my head, boarded up and burnin’ down.
Out of patience, out of time… and now we rot.”
And good news for those craving more: “Hopeless” is the second advance from Smirk’s forthcoming sophomore release Material, out November 18th via Feel It Records. —Jackson Todd
PS: Smirk’s live show is not to be missed. Seeing as a majority of their gigs are either last minute DIY affairs or part of a larger touring schedule, we highly recommend staying informed via @ncvicario on instagram. Catch ‘em if you can.
