With an album title as epic as The Glorious Ache, you'll no doubt expect a grand listening experience. And that's exactly what you get on the third release from the diverse Canadian band Sills & Smith. Full of sometimes haunting, sometimes cynical and always memorable songs, The Glorious Ache bursts with arrangements that span four decades of musical influences — from the Beatles to Warren Zevon and Neil Young to The Cure, U2 and beyond.
Despite the name, this dynamic duo is actually a trio: Jeremy Sills (vocals, guitars), Frank Smith (vocals) and Jonathan Edwards (everything else, including some vocals). These 15 songs sound nothing like each other, which essentially makes Sills & Smith — & Edwards? — an accessible progressive-rock group. "Ready, Set, Go" bounces like an 80s dance-rock track, "Be Careful" is a dark and droning warning, "Advice, Best Taken" captures not only Warren Zevon's vocal style but also his cynicism, "Freezing in Here" rocks like a superior bar band on fire, and elements of Neil Young swirl around the gut-wrenching "Tornado Alley." But the most glorious of aches on The Glorious Ache is "Amanda (For Amanda Todd)" — a gripping and disturbing examination of the life and suicide of a 15-year-old Canadian girl bullied to death. It's a devastatingly emotional track, and any parent left unmoved after hearing it doesn't possess a soul.
The soul of Sills & Smith is what allows this group to write such compelling songs. Edwards' guitar solos take them to another realm, and strong production boosts the overall impact. Genuine, melodic and engaging, Sills & Smith simply is too good for radio.
Track Listing:
1) Hold Tight
2) Ready Set Go
3) Be Careful
4) Advice Best Taken
5) Parachute Love
6) Amanda (For Amanda Todd)
7) A Church in the Country
8) It's Wrecked
9) Tornado Alley
10) If You
11) Living On an Island
12) Promises
13) Freezing in Here
14) Fill My Cup
15) In Memory
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