Paul Smith first made a name for himself through a sharp lyrical wit and charismatic presence whilst fronting Maxïmo Park.
Concise, literary lyrics contrasting against the band’s frantic power-pop instrumentation made Maxïmo Park one of the most memorable bands to come out of the mid-aughts indie rock boom.
Now, ‘Contradictions‘ comes five years after Smith’s first solo album (not counting the 2014 collaboration with Field Music’s Peter Brewis) and expands upon the mellow aesthetic and personal nature of its predecessor with a calm, steady confidence that can only be achieved through experience.
‘The Deep End’ kicks off with a smooth, plucking bass line and new wave inspired sparse guitar leads, its steady rhythm and atmospheric production setting the tone. “All my dreams are contradictions,” hums Smith on the subtlety anthemic chorus, while behind him the music patiently cascades into place. On lead single ‘Break Me Down’ his pop sensibilities are shown off by juxtaposing heartache against a lighthearted melody, a curious bridge and subsequent build up resulting in a perfect piece of sophisticated pop/rock.
Providing contrast is the art-rock influenced ‘Reintroducing The Red Kite‘, which wouldn’t sound out of place on a St. Vincent record with its chiming rhythm guitars, muted claps and disjointed hook riffs. The album gets a potent push on the musty and moody ‘Before the Perspiration Falls‘ where jittery piano chords and a krautrock inspired groove all contribute to one of the album’s most musically unique tracks.
Smith’s talented team of collaborators help him fill in the gaps as Prefab Sprout’s Wendy Smith adds angelic harmonies to the chorus of ‘All The Things You’d Like To Be‘ while co-producer Andy Hodson keeps things from wondering aimlessly with propulsive drumming as Smith croons, contemplating dreams and how they fit into the context of our 9 to 5 reality.
Over the course of the album, Smith details various stages of a relationship with a calm and reflective tone. ‘I Should Never Know’ narrates a relationship at a discernible crossroad. “There’s a fork in the road, which way you gonna go, there’s a fork in the road, are you coming with me,” he asks over shimmering, sparkling 80’s new wave production. Vivid, honest lyrics make these songs emotionally potent, even when the music occasionally falls into the trap of being overly Vanilla. A perfect example being the plodding ‘Fill in The Blanks’, saved by a simple but effective lyrical prowess with lines such as, “My thoughts are easily lead, small things get stuck in my head.”
The album’s two sides are broken up by a folk ditty entitled ‘Golden Girl‘, giving the listener a breather from the overriding contemporary vibe. The summery, tightly crafted ‘People On Sunday‘ later brightens the mood as Smith gives us one of his most charismatic vocal performances, while new sounds continue to be explored on the dream pop influenced ‘Coney Island (4th Of July)’, guitars dripping with chorus effects inspired by 80’s bands such as The Cure and Cocteau Twins. Yet where those bands divulged in gothic dream pop, Smith takes a more glimmering oriented approach to his songs.
‘Contradictions’ balances the conflicting emotions that come with approaching middle age. At thirty-six, Smith is discovering new subjects to write about, without losing any of his younger playful nature. On ‘The Mezzanine Floor’ there’s the sudden realization that he is an adult, documenting domestic life whilst finding the beauty in the mundane.
He’ll always be best known for fronting Maxïmo Park, but this release stands Smith out in his own right as one of the most underrated British songwriters of the past decade.