Second Stage: All Smiles

by Robin Hilton

Download "Maps to the Homes of Our Former Foes (right-click or control-click and save to your computer)

I've been sitting on this one since it came in a couple of months ago. It's the kind of album I wanted to share with everyone right after I first heard it, but the label understandably wanted me to wait until closer to the release date. All Smiles is the band, and the album is called Oh for the Getting and Not Letting Go.

All Smiles is the music of Portland, Ore., artist Jim Fairchild. If the name sounds at all familiar, it's because he was the guitarist for Grandaddy before the band broke up in 2006. I've talked a lot about former Grandaddy frontman Jason Lytle this year, and how his own solo album (Yours Truly, The Commuter) shows that he was the great talent and creative force behind the band. But Fairchild is incredibly talented in his own right.

On Oh for the Getting and Not Letting Go, Fairchild takes over on lead vocals and does a solid job. I love his voice. His songwriting seems to take more cues from The Beatles than anything Grandaddy ever did, particularly in the harmonies, which make the songs a little sweeter and happier than Grandaddy's work.

All Smiles features a cast of supporting artists, including percussionist Joe Plummer, who's played with The Shins, Modest Mouse and The Black Heart Procession. Also: Nik Freitas, one of the members of Conor Oberst's Mystic Valley Band, Mike Cresswell, Solon Bixler (Earlimart) and Danny Seim (Menomena).

This is my favorite cut from Oh for the Getting, particularly for how it takes off around the 1:40 mark. It's called "Maps to the Homes of Former Foes."

You can read more about All Smiles at the band's Web site.

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3:09 PM ET | 06-23-2009 | permalink

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