Smite

http://www.indieville.com/reviews/smite.htm

Off-kilter indie rock from this long-standing act on Devious Semantics, and they get a nod from We Are Scientists so you gotta dig that. Impossible Object is an energetic and eclectic affair from these boys, and if you like rough, strange-but-accessible rawk music then you're bound to find something of interest here. Dark and somehow psychedelic "The Second You Sell" is my sleeper pick for the record's best track (despite the press sheet listing three others as "suggested") - the spaced-out texture and explosive ending make it the most dynamic moment on this disc. Rocking "Cops Drugged Out" continues the fire, while "East Vs. West" is a nice little space-rocker and "Murder Weapon" has a distinct melody designed to forge a place in your mind (the album's "single," if you will). And then you've got the necessary slow songs, from traditional acoustic "The Tunnel" and "Never Return" to bizarro "Cash Moves Killers." Impossible Object is solid though inessential, but it brings long-running Smite to my attention and for that I'm glad. - Indieville.com

By Paul Zimmerman


Weird. That's the perfect word for New York band Smite. Perhaps, Keith Murray of We Are Scientists said it best, "Smite is an exercise in futility, a conglomeration of bizarrely diverse personalities that has mastered the art of lateral evolution." I could not agree more.

In listening to their latest record Impossible Object it's almost impossible to nail this band down. One second the record is pounding like a jack hammer, the next it sounds like a Alice in Chains outtake, and then it settles in for a sensitive acoustic number. It's an insanely unstable record that somehow manages to pull it all together in the nick of time. Hanging by a thread of sanity, Impossible Object manages to entertain while nearly causing a migraine.

If ever there was a record in need of meds, this would be it. It's the sound of two halves of a brain fighting it out. It's a struggle for musical sanity that is fun to listen to. It's heavy, trippy, soft, edgy, intense, weird, noisy, and when it comes down to it pretty cool.

With such a variety of influences and sounds this record almost seems destined to fail...but it doesn't instead it's like a roller coaster ride. One second things are calm and then the next its like going down a 400 foot drop and screaming at the top of your lungs. It's definitely among the more interesting records out there.

From the nearly poppy, "Badd," to the ear piercing Alice in Chains goes screamo of "The Second You Sell," Smite keep things unusual and that's what makes Impossible Object a good listen.

Far from cliché, far from the norm resides Smite. On Impossible Object Smite thinks so far out of the box that they leave it behind. One of the most original bands around, Smite is simply unafraid to try anything or mix something new into their sound. For this we are rewarded with a cacophony of riotous sounds that may be grating at times but they're always entertaining. More power to them. - First Coast News

http://www.30music.com/rev.php?rev=1753&action=archiveRev&term=S#edit

Review written on 2006/10/13 by Terry McDaniel

New York-based Smite's new album, Impossible Object, is a melting pot of rock styles. Some songs have the pop gentleness of Beulah, some have the alt-rock sounds of The Smithereens, some the grunge yearnings of Alice in Chains and even some have the screaming alt-metal drone of The Deftones. This mix of styles is what a lot of people have come to know Smite for. Listening to an album with such a diverse palette of sounds will make some intrigued, it is sure to drive others mad.

Opening the album with "East Vs. West” the song has a heavy, dark, grunge feel. It is entertaining enough, but it sounds like many things one has heard before. Up next "Making A Killing" is a bit more memorable with an alt-rock feel and some nice slide guitar work. "The Second You Sell" has a brooding Alice in Chains feel, towards the end of the song it gets much harder and the vocal characteristics are strongly reminiscent of The Deftones. Songs like "Cops Drugged Out" and "Cash Moves Killers" have a strong Smithereens feel, the former a harder rock version and the latter a spot on version. "Badd" has the modern pop sounds of Beulah with a harder guitar crunch. The album ends with the slower acoustic number "Gravity and Repulsion" which has a late ‘50s pop/doo-wop feel.

This band is obviously tight. The fact they can change their sound so drastically is to be respected. We Are Scientists' Keith Murray is apparently a fan of Smite and he describes them at one point with this: "If Smite didn’t seem so bent on convincing listeners that they're madmen, they'd almost surely be considered geniuses." Genius may be a little strong, but Smite on Impossible Object do seem to be reaching for something greater, and while they don’t really set themselves apart on this album, there's an undertone in the diversity of their songs that shows they are willing to take risks. It is unfortunate that nothing on the album sounds completely original, the songs all seem to contain elements one has heard on Top 40 or alt-rock radio. It is their willingness to take risks, change vocals, change song genres, and approach their songs differently which shines brightest. There's no doubt that Smite could be a rising star, if the gang keeps at it, and digs a little deeper and differentiates itself a little more from its many influences. - www.30music.com

Layers upon layers. Textures mounted onto textures. It’s this thick exterior that you find yourself crawling through as you listen to the exploratory art rock adventure known as “Impossible Object”. Vocally it soars with melodic overtures and pointed inflections. Poignant lyrics make it for an interesting dissection. As you peel back the layers of guitar, you find fuzzy distortion, clean tones, and jazzy chord changes. There are elements of power pop simplicity hidden as a rough gem on a few songs. Angular riffs make this a journey towards the center of the planet of rock ‘n’ roll.
- J-Sin - smother.net

This was a live clip that indigo.tv shot of our amazing art party w/Smite & Americans. Clip shot at Filmmaker & Painter Jim Herbert's Studio.
http://indigo.tv/watch/740?tabid=3 - Live Clip of "Pistols"

Acclaimed filmmaker & painter Jim Herbert's interview by indigo.tv (New York), featuring Smite. Jim speaks about the trials of creating videos for REM and his new direction in large paintings. Smite's performance of the song "No Idea" that night at Jim's opening is used for the backgound music of the interview. - TV Interview