Album Review: Xander Smith - Outside

The song titles on the second album from LA singer-songwriter Xander Smith tell you everything there is to know about Outside; tracks like Spiders, Seventeen and Lullaby all bespeak of the gentle folk and alt-country sounds found here.

Their style and substance have been produced by many a sensitive indie-guy-with-a-guitar in the past. Smith’s double-tracked vocals in particular have him sounding like Alex Chilton from Big Star in his quieter moments, or a well-adjusted Elliott Smith. However, Say Anything and Until Always transcend any genre references with their full-bodied orchestration.