The cover for singer-songwriter-guitarist Scott Smith’s blues rock single, ‘Small Town USA.’

Artist: Scott Smith: Vocals and guitar; Jeff Martin: Bass; and Vic Carberry: Drums

Singles on EP: ‘Small Town USA’ and ‘Got a Hundred Dollar Bill;’ Mixed and edited by composer-producer-music director, Julie Wolf

Prolific Bay Area rocker, Scott Smith is proving his distinct versatility as a singer-songwriter-instrumentalist with the release of his latest two songs, ‘Small Town USA’ and ‘Got a Hundred Dollar Bill.’ Distributed as a dual single bundle EP in advance of his next full length album, the tracks notably showcase his natural ability to distinctly fuse together such genres as blues, Americana, folk and country in his signature guitar strumming and gritty vocals, in order to celebrate the life he leads.

The renowned veteran musician crafted a playful blues tune with ‘Small Town USA,’ which pays tribute to the guitar and vocal skills of such fellow Americana-folk rock singer-songwriter-guitarists as Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp. Driven by nostalgic lyrics and sentimental guitar strumming, particularly by Smith’s fellow California musician, Spencer Burroughs, on the Hammond B-3, the patriotic tune celebrates the life residents lead in small American towns, where their tight-knit bonds offer them a true sense of community.

Smith smoothly croons such meaningful lyrics as people feel as though the good times won’t last, but he feels that’s the point of living life in the title neighborhood. Also crooning the powerful metaphor that the break of dawn shines a light on the joy of living in a close-knit neighborhood throughout the song, ‘Small Town USA’s upbeat vocals and instrumentals ultimately provide promise that there is still hope in America.

‘Small Town USA’ is accompanied by the resilient and boisterous garage rock band sound of ‘Got a Hundred Dollar Bill,’ which is the perfect ode to the carefree, party lifestyle of his young adulthood. Featuring a more classic rock sound on the guitar, and grittier vocals, than on ‘Small Town USA,’ Smith’s true versatility as a musician is on full display. The track evokes the notion of people enjoying the fun in their lives through its tantalizing lyrics; the singer croons that that by having the title money in his pocket as he drives an old pick-up truck with a wild rodeo queen next to him, he’s leading the wild life that many people dream about.

‘Small Town USA’ and ‘Got a Hundred Dollar Bill’ are the latest brilliant singles from the stunningly creative Smith, who once again proves his distinct versatility as a singer-songwriter-instrumentalist. The Bay Area rocker notably showcase his natural ability to distinctly fuse together such genres as blues, Americana, folk and country in his signature guitar strumming and gritty vocals on the two tunes. The striking interweaving of the instrumentals and vocals on the unique tunes serve as a true celebration of the life the musician leads, and their overall relatability make them true summertime stand-outs.

For more information on Smith, visit his SoundCloud page.

By Karen Benardello

As a graduate of LIU Post with a B.F.A in Journalism, Print and Electronic, Karen Benardello serves as ShockYa's Senior Movies & Television Editor. Her duties include interviewing filmmakers and musicians, and scribing movie, television and music reviews and news articles. As a New York City-area based journalist, she's a member of the guilds, New York Film Critics Online and the Women Film Critics Circle.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *