If It's Too Loud...

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 latest psychedelic rocker from Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures is larger in scope than you normally get from the Boston music scene. Boston is the kind of city that remains working class and doesn't typically reward ambition. Don't tell that to these guys since "White Spade Symphony" is an absolute epic. It combines alt-rock with psychedelia and Americana in a huge sounding song just waiting to be played at the biggest stages around. (Or at least some outdoor festivals.) "White Spade Symphony" starts off simply enough as a mid-tempo psych-rocker perfect for the smaller clubs around town, but around the halfway mark the song just takes off with a blistering guitar solo that elevates the song to epic territory. This is the level of artists like Band of Horses or Kings of Leon's first two albums. It's the kind of bridge that will leave you with your jaw on the floor, and the song just goes from there, and somehow does ...

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...