SMILE supporting Touché Amoré

In the organizer's words:

With their outstanding debut PRICE OF PROGRESS, SMILE show that post-punk can still sound refreshing. They don't take their references as dogma, remaining experimental and headstrong. Narrative, catchy, rough and cuddly, the subtle, poetic observations of singer Rubee True Fegan (USA) merge with the accomplished sound of a band that has been put exactly where it belongs by producer Olaf Opal: on the starting block of innovative, intelligent and sensual guitar music. PRICE OF PROGRESS manifests the interplay of musical Sturm und Drang and the maturity of a reflective narrative perspective.

In its youthful freshness, what has been created here certainly sounds like a debut - but at the same time like the work of an experienced band that has grown over a long period of time. Only it doesn't sound German, which is certainly due to the nature of singer Rubees True Fegan's home in Albuquerque (New Mexico), but also to the versatility that SMILE allow themselves - and their accompanying virtuosity on the instruments. Following a British-style post-punk style, SMILE try their hand at homogeneous straightforwardness (Herrengedeck), allow coolness (Machine Dreaming) and follow a gloomy seriousness (Säge). However, these facets are mixed with a cheerful joy of experimentation (Stalemate, Produce, Hungry Ghosts), with humor (Doohickey), with dreamy buoyancy (Commuter) and genre-bending pop affinity (Protection). This stylistically confident album displays a versatility that is rarely found today - and still sounds as if it has been cast from a single mold.