Frank Smith – Heavy-Handed Peace & Love

Ye Olde Records

Like any decent alt-country album, Frank Smith’s Heavy-Handed Peace & Love starts out with straightforward harmonica and slide guitar. Thankfully, it quickly deviates from every other americana album released this year when it delves into subtle psychedelia. The atmospheric chirps and groans layered behind the folk-rock melodies conjure a true sense of the American landscape. This is both despair and hopefulness, stretched along sparse countryside, the sound drifting across the field from your neighbor’s old backporch.

Aaron Sinclair, originally from Texas, started the band in Boston in 2001. Playing in the Boston punk scene for several years somehow led him back to his country roots, and then eventually back to Texas itself. In March of this year the band moved to Austin, the alt-country capital of the world.

In the competitive world of Austin, Sinclair manages to stand out by hanging on to his punk heart. The elements of this influence are peppered throughout Heavy-Handed Peace & Love in songs like “Home Is Where You Leave It” and “Ten Cent Hands.” The aggressive guitar riffs and distinctive vocal harmonies (which conjure images of fellow Bostonians, the Pixies) make both of these songs album highlights.

More melodic than country-punk, but just as aggressive in its rough multi-layers, Heavy-Handed Peace & Love is a mix of raw talent and energy. And it’s one of those genuine moments, when you get the sense you’ve caught a band right before they hit it big.

Review by Jessica Star Rockers

Click here to buy:

Heavy Handed Peace and Love