Albums to watch

Soft Will

Smith Westerns

Soft Will

Album No.3 from the Chicago band, dealing in 70s glam-indebted indie rock

ADM rating[?]

6.9

Label
CO-OP/MOM + POP
UK Release date
24/06/2013
US Release date
25/06/2013
  1. 8.3 |   Pretty Much Amazing

    A real achievement
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  2. 8.0 |   The 405

    Soft Will ticks all the boxes of being, without actually calling itself such, a 'coming-of-age' record that squints in the direction of their bright future
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  3. 8.0 |   The Fly

    Represents a huge step towards the shiny, glamorous indie-pop sound this Chicago band have always hankered after
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  4. 8.0 |   NME

    There's a lot to love about music that's as head over heels in love with youth as Soft Will is
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  5. 8.0 |   DIY

    Just a complete pleasure to listen to
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  6. 8.0 |   Under The Radar

    Everything on Soft Will is ringing, open, alive; there are croon-along choruses buoying every song
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  7. 8.0 |   All Music

    It may be their best yet
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  8. 8.0 |   Beats Per Minute

    Soft Will is certainly not as immediately infectious as Smith Westerns’ previous outings, but that does not make it a weaker album
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  9. 7.9 |   Pitchfork

    Few groups do wistfully melodic trad-rock any better right now
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  10. 7.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    For all its faults, the heart and maturity at the centre of Soft Will feels more vital and important than their showy genre tourism ever did
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  11. 7.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    An excellent record - there is just a lingering feeling that their unique sense of fun and abandon, is all but over
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  12. 7.0 |   No Ripcord

    Soft Will won’t enter the annals as album of the decade, but it showcases the tools and talent to make it happen one day
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  13. 7.0 |   musicOMH

    It’s unlikely that the demise of the younger, brattier version of Smith Westerns will be mourned by anyone who comes into contact with this lovely record
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  14. 7.0 |   Bowlegs

    The record is well written and masterfully produced, but not always particularly innovative
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  15. 6.4 |   Paste Magazine

    Even if this sudden maturity results in deeper sounds, it doesn’t always result in deeper songs
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  16. 6.0 |   PopMatters

    Now that they’re no longer content to simply dance the night away, the group needs to figure out what they want to do instead
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  17. 6.0 |   Rolling Stone

    They move far away from their garage-rock starting point and construct an expertly lyrical world of yearning and insinuation
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  18. 6.0 |   Consequence Of Sound

    Loneliness, insecurity, and fear of abandonment ripple through Soft Will
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  19. 6.0 |   Loud And Quiet

    Dejected though it is, ‘Soft Will’ has its moments, especially if you’ve just been dumped, but the vigour that made Smith Westerns so envious and young, it’s gone
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  20. 6.0 |   Spin

    It's a lovely place that Soft Will fashions here, but it sounds hesitant about pulling you in
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  21. 5.0 |   A.V. Club

    Smith Westerns have either matured or just tuckered themselves out
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  22. 4.0 |   Blurt

    Soft Will is certainly pleasant enough, and I’m sure is being hailed by indie taste makers everywhere who like their rock on the sterile side
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