Chris Smither

CHRIS SMITHERwith BETTYSOONEW YORK TIMES: Mr. Smither has taken the blues in a direction entirely his own: stoic existential ruminations sung in a pained, weathered moan and set to quietly virtuosic guitar. ASSOCIATED PRESS: Wise words pour forth from Chris Smither observations and aphorisms, similes and internal rhymes, run-on sentences and concise quips, all in a conversational flow. The careful construction of Smithers lyrics is a thing of beauty and the bedrock of his bluesy folk music. Smither is an excellent acoustic guitarist and first-rate foot-stomper.NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO: [Smither] taps his foot to keep the rhythm, much like the late blues legend John Lee Hooker. His finger-picked guitar lines are sleek, unhurried and insistent. And then theres the voice equal parts gravel and molasses.ROLLING STONE: Bathed in the flickering glow of passing headlights and neon bar signs, Smithers roots are as blue as they come. There is plenty of misty Louisiana and Lightnin Hopkins in Smithers weathered singing and unhurried picking. So fine.MOJO (5 STARS): Hundred Dollar Valentine is a thing of profound beauty; deep, sad, wise songs, allied to perfectly crafted arrangements, from a man whos live long enough in darkness to address the big, heavy questions with a lightness of touch.OXFORD AMERICAN: It was that rhythmic push-and-pull, that New Orleans sensibility that made Smither stand out.NEW YORK TIMES: With a weary, well-traveled voice and a serenely intricate finger-picking style, Mr. Smither turns the blues into songs that accept hard-won lessons and try to make peace with fate.MAVERICK: Cast your mind back to the first time you heard Hank Williams, Big Bill Broonzy or JJ Cale and remember how good it felt. Think of the opening encounter with Leon Redbone or Leo Kottke. They say newcomers to Chris Smithers brand of country blues-tinged southern folk experience those same emotions. Its true.AMERICANA MUSIC NEWS: Theres a tireless arguably timeless quality to Chris Smithers work.UNCUT (UK): Call Me Lucky careens confidently from lowdown acoustic blues to spry folk rock, riffing and jangling with a sense of urgency and purpose.BLUES MAGAZINE (NL): Smither remains one of those truly rare things, a writer and singer with a remarkable eye for oddities and references that cross genres from roots to jazzy underpinnings and blues.