Album Review: Chris Smither - Hundred Dollar Valentine

After 12 records and over 40 years, bluesman Chris Smither is really backing himself on Hundred Dollar Valentine, each of its 11 songs penned by the man himself for the very first time; perhaps this is why it's such a confident, casual, strong piece of work. Smither's talent as a fingerstyle guitarist has always been impressive, but it seems that with age he's developing a richer, hearty vocal tone that adds an extra depth. The sparse percussion of ex-Morphine drummer Billy Conway is the album's unsung hero, so unobtrusive but vital in the way it pushes the tunes forward. Producer David Goodrich has crammed quite a lot into Hundred Dollar Valentine while still making it sound utterly intimate, which is no mean feat.

The guitar that powers What They Say might seem a little too close to Smither's 2006 tune Leave The Light On, but the rest of the song – all perky vocals, howling harp and down home fiddle – ensures it's one of the album's best cuts. All We Need To Know is bleak and ominous, while Make Room For Me that follows might have a similarly dark subject matter but comes across more carefree; you can just see Smither's wry smile as he speaks of the world destructing and the human race being consigned to cages.

Smither is highly adept at acoustic blues with subject matter that doesn't follow any tropes of the genre; there's always a little grit and a little cheek. On Hundred Dollar Valentine he's only being his own sardonic, humourous self and it's a damn good fit.