Albums to watch

Dye It Blonde

Smith Westerns

Dye It Blonde

Second album from the youthful Chicago indie rock quartet, influenced by classic pop rock of the 70s

ADM rating[?]

7.5

Label
Fat Possum
UK Release date
02/05/2011
US Release date
18/01/2011
  1. 9.0 |   Spin

    They worship their heroes the most devout way possible - by trying to top them
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  2. 9.0 |   PopMatters

    A record that sounds at once cohesive and loaded with singles
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  3. 9.0 |   The Fly

    ‘Dye It Blonde’ is almost flawless – a glimpse into a cynicism-free world of perpetual sunshine
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  4. 8.9 |   Beats Per Minute

    Dye It Blonde is a snapshot of Smith Westerns today: a band enjoying their youth. It’s not your youth or mine, it is definitively theirs, but they’re happy to share it with you if you’ll have a listen
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  5. 8.5 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    The Smith Westerns can say with certainty and pride: “Mission accomplished”
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  6. 8.5 |   Bowlegs

    With ‘Dye It Blonde’ Smith Westerns have more than built on their debut. They have, in fact, entered a whole new space and time. Where they end up next is anyone’s guess
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  7. 8.4 |   Pitchfork

    They were convincing before, but now they seem like experts
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  8. 8.0 |   No Ripcord

    Smith Westerns have cleaned up their act, and the result isn't just sparkly, it's damn good
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  9. 8.0 |   The Irish Times

    They’ve kept some of the glam touches for Dye It Blonde , but the songwriting and arrangements have gotten a higher priority.
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  10. 8.0 |   Blurt

    If these youngsters continue to travel at the rapid speed by which they are evolving, Smith Westerns could reach supernova faster than you can say "Buick MacKane"
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  11. 8.0 |   musicOMH

    Twinkling little gem of an album
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  12. 8.0 |   BBC

    A warm, wonky album made by three blokes who haven’t reached their 21st birthdays yet
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  13. 8.0 |   Q

    An effortless marriage of modern dream-pop loops and classical '70s guitar lines. Print edition only

  14. 8.0 |   The Guardian

    It's a joy to hear a band who want you to enjoy their music, not just admire it
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  15. 8.0 |   Tiny Mix Tapes

    The band comes across entirely genuine, as if questions of authenticity and irony don't even apply
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  16. 8.0 |   NME

    Smart kids with mean tunes, sharp minds and great record collections
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  17. 8.0 |   Daily Telegraph

    This is glorious summer music, possibly the summer of 1974, but sunshine all round none the less
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  18. 8.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    On paper I would have assumed that this album would be another sonic parasite, but there’s a strange magnetism
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  19. 8.0 |   The Scotsman

    Wall-to-wall freewheeling indie pop in a lo-fi Flaming Lips style
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  20. 8.0 |   Eye Weekly

    With Dye It Blonde, the Smith Westerns haven’t just outgrown the garage, but quite possibly this world as well
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  21. 7.5 |   Prefix

    Enough triumphs to score a summer romance and get cut up on mix CDs
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  22. 7.0 |   PopMatters

    Astute practitioners of glam rock
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  23. 7.0 |   Consequence Of Sound

    Smith Westerns’ best work comes when they don’t allow themselves to get too caught up in the history and traditions of the sounds of old
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  24. 7.0 |   Rolling Stone

    An overpowering blast of glam-rocking gorgeousness
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  25. 7.0 |   Rave Magazine

    Laden with classic Beatles-style melodies and a tinge of T.Rex swagger
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  26. 7.0 |   DIY

    Smith Westerns are living Marc Bolan’s lost teenage dream, and letting all us oldies in on the fun again
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  27. 6.5 |   The 405

    The band often steer dangerously towards arena rock with less of an ironic snigger than you would hope for
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  28. 6.0 |   Slant Magazine

    Dye It Blonde may be a more accomplished production than Smith Westerns, but it's also a roundly enervating creation, drained of the fuzzy promise that defined the band's debut
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  29. 6.0 |   Uncut

    They score high for presentation. Print edition only

  30. 6.0 |   Mojo

    Often astoundingly catchy and entirely indebted to the past. Print edition only

  31. 6.0 |   The Digital Fix

    If you like The Magic Numbers or Telekinesis!, then the undoubtedly handsome young men of Smith Westerns may similarly please
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  32. 2.0 |   God Is In The TV

    Full of generic, druggy strumalongs we’ve heard a million times before
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Smith Westerns: Dye It Blonde

  • Download full album for just £8.49
  • 1. Weekend £0.89
  • 2. Still New £0.89
  • 3. Imagine Pt. 3 £0.89
  • 4. All Die Young £0.89
  • 5. Fallen In Love £0.89
  • 6. End Of The Night £0.89
  • 7. Only One £0.89
  • 8. Smile £0.89
  • 9. Dance Away £0.89
  • 10. Dye The World £0.89
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