If It's Too Loud...

We've gotten used to getting singles from Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures, so getting a four song EP all at once is a treat! The Boston based band released Songs from the Plastic Ballroom last week, and it combines everything we've come to love from the Boston based band. "Rolling Over" starts out as a groovy, psychedelic soul song with roots in Americana. From there, "I Don't Wanna See You Cry" is a slowed down neo-soul song that will mesmerize anyone listening. I think this might be the most Smith has leaned into his soul side, and he nails it. "Astral Days" keeps the funky side of the band intact, albeit in slightly more of an alt-rock kind of style. Closing out the EP is "Surreal World," which lets Smith truly shine. It keeps the groovy, soulful style of Songs from the Plastic Ballroom going, but cranks up the psychedelic factor. It's great to see an artist play around with their sound, and Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultu...

Painting by Robert Smith; Design by Derek Smith We've grown accustomed to the folk and psychedelia leaning sounds of Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures, but on their latest, the Boston band moves into a different sound. "Lady Bathory" is still steeped in psychedelia, and there are elements of Americana in the song, but this is more of an alt-rock track. It's much heavier than we're used to hearing from them while still sounding like a Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures track. This isn't so much a complete left turn into a new sound as it is an expansion on what we love from them. For someone as prolific as Smith is, he keeps releasing fantastic new music. Derek Smith says of his band's latest single: “The song is about confusion. We have come to the point on this planet where we don’t know what’s real or fake anymore. We can’t trust anything we see or hear. Everything is a fucking lie.”  You can listen to "Lady Bathory" below. For more on Derek...

Photo by Gia Smith There's prolific, and then there's Derek Smith. The Boston musician's latest single with the Cosmic Vultures, "Hollow Choir," is his eightieth song in the past eight years. It also helps explain the genre psychedelic folk-rock. The song is a little over three minutes, but the genre makes it feel much more epic. It's smooth sounding with trippy little flourishes, particularly in the guitar. At times, it sounds almost Adult Contemporary, but it's far too psychedelic for that. It's the play between the mainstream and the alternative side of folk that makes "Hollow Choir" work so well. Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures have long had this ability to provide a little something for everyone, and their latest proves that more than previous ones have. Derek Smith says of his latest single: “This song sums up the feelings I have had towards my music career for the last few years. I am always being told what I should do or what I sh...

Photo courtesy of the band The latest from Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures is the type of song that grew on me. When I first gave it a listen, it came across as a little too easy listening or 70's AM radio for my own personal taste. But, after a few listens, I realized how much is actually going on in "Songbird." The song does have a distinct 70's vibe, but it's much more country (especially alt-country or cosmic country) than it sounded at first. There's also some serious indie rock chops going on throughout the song. Turns out "Songbird" is a much groovier and intriguing song than I expected, and it's well worth a full listen.  Derek Smith says of his band's latest song: “‘Songbird’ is about people. We sing the same song. We follow similar patterns to each other. We have secrets, ideas, fears. We all eat, sleep, breathe, lie to ourselves, cry, laugh. We all question things. At least the smart ones do. And we are all going to walk that m...

Photo courtesy of Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures Boston's Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures have crafted one of the more unique yet mainstream sounds coming out of the city for their latest single. "Tomorrow Morning" has a psychedelic and glam sound, but it's also laced with a heaping dose of soft rock. The song is trippy and glammed up, but it sounds like something that could have been played on an easy listening station decades ago. Plus, there's an unexpected alt-rock meets jam band thing going on here. "Tomorrow Morning" is well worth a listen, and it's certainly one of those songs that shares more with the listener on repeated listens. What should be a jumbled mess of sounds instead works magically in Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures' hands. Derek Smith says of his band's latest single: “I always sort of go back to a song after I have written it and realize it can have many different meanings or mean something completely differ...

Photo courtesy of the band The Cosmic Vultures formed about ten years ago and became a New England favorite thanks to their live shows and eclectic version of rock and roll. Singer Derek Smith released a pair of well received solo albums in 2022 and 2023 to further explore different musical branches, and now the band is back and have renamed themselves Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures. Their latest single, "Waiting," shows off just how varied their sound is. It starts off with a killer alt-rock guitar that sounds like it's lifted right out of the 90's. And then there's the harmonies. Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures are using vocal harmonies that you don't hear outside of traditional folk. "Waiting" is a beautiful power ballad that still packs a rock punch. This is an engaging one that's going to sweep you away with its epic size. Derek Smith says of his band's latest song: “‘Waiting’ is about waiting for something to happen. Waiting fo...

You might know Derek Smith as the frontman for The Cosmic Vultures, but he just released a new solo single. "Black Angel" is just a straight up great singer-songwriter song with elements of folk and country. It's one of those songs that starts simply enough on the folkier side of music, and builds into a rocker by the end. What really sucks you into a song like "Black Angel" is Smith's vocals. He just has a unique sound to his voice that reminds me of the mid-90's post grunge alternative goes pop period. Plus, there's one of the best twangy guitar solos to come out of Boston this year in the song, and who doesn't want one of those? Derek Smith says of his new single: "I am talking directly to God in this song. Whatever the concept of God is. Real, fake, whatever. I am not flat-out saying what I believe. Though, I am sure people are smart enough to know what and how I feel." You can listen to "Black Angel" below. The single is ...

Boston's Derek Smith has released a song that doesn't quite fit in any genre. "Everyday" is a laid back song that is mostly indie rock, but it has a little too much folk in it to quite be truly indie. But the song isn't folk enough to be folk either. There's some twang to it, but not quite enough to be country. I'm even detecting hints of hippie leaning singer/songwriter in "Everyday." The song is distinctively lo-fi without being a bedroom style track. It's kind of like if G. Love got more into early Sebadoh than the blues. It's a chilled out and interesting hodgepodge of sounds that is well worth checking out. Derek Smith says of his upcoming album: "This record is very 'glass half empty'. I have that specific outlook on life. But I am not always a pessimistic person. I get into my mood and then I write. I don't think I know how to write a song in a good mood. But I asked myself how I could tell a story with songs witho...