Vintage melodramatic pop. That is the best way to describe April Smith and the Great Picture Show. The band’s new album,Songs For A Sinking Ship, is over the top in the best way possible. You can imagine yourself in an old time saloon listening to them play. It’s a combination of a little jazz, a little ragtime and a whole lotta awesome.
Smith has a gift for emoting very distinct feelings through her vocals and takes on characters in each song. She puts on a provocative burlesque-style vocal show in songs like “Wow and Flutter” where she sings “Don’t hate a girl because she knows/ All the ways to get beneath your clothes / Cause you played those games, down to the letter / You’re just mad cause I play them better.” She switches gears to the heartbroken ex-girlfriend on the album’s ballads “Beloved” and “What’ll I Do.” The words of a devoted girlfriend are sung in “Colors,” and the not bitter anymore ex-girlfriend role is played in “Stop Wondering.”
Songs For A Sinking Ship is a whirlwind of emotions in a big band style. Every song leaves you wanting to hear what’s going to come next. There is never a dull moment when listening to April Smith and the Great Picture Show. They are creating a sound all their own and doing it well.
In A Word: Dramatic
