sky smeed

The first time I heard Sky Smeed's music I was convinced by the second song that he's a talent to be watched. The new record (The Front Steps) takes him into a league of artists like Steve Forbert and Ryan Adams. Stories put to song with a distinct vocal quality that will remain only his. Tracks to check out on "The Front Steps" are many, but 4/7/8/9 are good for starters. Also highly recommended is his amazing debut cd "Flying High" I play many songs from it and have had many enthusiastic calls from listeners asking "who was that guy?" "Flying High" has landed on my list of favorite records of all time, it is a true work of art. It shares that honor with some of the major players in Americana and Folk Music.
Treat Yourself, buy Sky Smeed's records.
Tim Schaefer, WKZE 98.1 F.M. - Tim Schaefer WKZE 98.1 F.M.

On his new CD, Mill River, his third, Sky Smeed really hits his stride. He’s always been a good songwriter and an effective vocalist, but this time out, Smeed attacks the baker’s dozen tracks, eleven which are self-penned, with the sort of ferocity and aggression that, frankly, we didn’t even know he had inside. The result is a torrid journey through country-influenced rock that at once sounds fresh while at the same time recalling John Mellencamp’s finest earliest efforts. Smeed is equally gifted in matching lyrical hooks to musical hooks, and his narratives have a force of maturity and authority that belie his youth. Plus he’s found the perfect band this time around to support his majestic melodies, and the arrangements are both rootsy and dynamic.—Seth Rogovoy, Berkshire Living Magazine/WAMC Northeast Public Radio Network


- Seth Rogovoy

Sky Smeed
Mill River

”Berkshires-by-way-of-Kansas Sky Smeed’s first two CDs were wonderful, unhurried affairs. Great songwriting, expressive singing, but much was downtempo, often to the point of being zen-like. Nice and quiet.

This new one, Mill River, is something else again. Recorded mostly live in three days at New England folk mecca Signature Sound Studios, Mill River is a rollicking bunch of songs, with Smeed stretching emotionally, compositionally, and hitting every mark full stride. With Mill River, Sky Smeed goes toe-to-toe with the great Texas singer-songwriters like Jack Ingram and Robert Earl Keen. He’s that good, and he’s that distinctive. He’s got the kind of sweet voice that’s recognizable after a first listen, and he writes unforgettable songs.

The hard-boogieing "Tonight I Will" peels the paint, with Smeed yowling about tearing it up on a Friday; "Amarillo Sun" has a majestic and poetic darkness that’s sniffing around Patti Smith’s territory; "Nothing to Fear" is a slice of small-town boy optimism, winding up with a gypsy-like charge and Smeed singing in long notes "We’ve nothing to fear" over and over again. "Love Again" is a staggering epic, starting out as a tepid little woe-is-me lost-love number, building steadily over five minutes to a furious, violent conclusion, with the singer’s character shooting his ex-darlin’s new man. His take on Jimmy Reed’s "Shame, Shame, Shame" leaves the cosmic country stuff behind and shows that Smeed is perfectly capable of taking on the baddest roadhouse. Line ’em up.

Smeed’s also got one of the most sure-footed bands in the region. The rhythm section of Andy Crawford (drums) and Dave Christopolis (bass) is simply extraordinary in every respect; Jack Waldheim plays guitar and mandolin with taste and restraint, coloring the songs while leaving most of the solo work to the terrific pedal-steel player Pete Adams, who gives the tracks a distinctive country twang. Something tells me Smeed’s not long for this local-musician stuff. Way, way too good for that.”

- Paul Rapp, Metroland
- Paul Rapp, Metroland