The One Smith

You'll find this hard to believe, but Go! has had our heart broken on more than one occasion. We won't dare mention the raven-haired, dapper gent whose response to our confession of undying love was a curt, "You're such a . . . good person," followed by a dry peck on the forehead. "You're too, too kind," we groused under our Ernest & Julio Gallo-laden breath. We just wish we could write stunning pop songs about such moments, as Eric Schmider (above) so eloquently does with his Boston-based band Mollycoddle. We're told Schmider christened his band with such a name after the demise of a long-term relationship. This man was hurting, for heaven's sake. Somehow his sadness didn't translate to the band's latest album, "Beautiful Californian Failure," a gorgeous mix of acoustic, sunny pop melodies and Schmider's talent for a clever lyric. - Boston Globe

Here's a gorgeous little pop collection from bedroom Brian Wilson, Eric Scmider. With a hint of Michael Penn and many Beatlely bits, Beautiful Californian Failure ruminates on varying shades of melancholia and moments of sunshine pop bliss. Opening track "Love Is" could scarcely be a more perfect with it's McCartney- ish melody and tinkling acoustic arpeggios. The album closes with a wonderful take on Sam Cooke's "I'll Come Running Back To You" (always a brave move to cover Sam Cooke, but he pulls it off) and between those two tracks lie a batch of absolute keepers. Fans of Jon Brion, Neil Finn and Squeeze would do well to check out Mollycoddle.
- Corin Ashley - Big Takeover

"[Beautiful Californian Failure]...a 13-song disc of very well produced ambitious pop that Eric sang, wrote and co-produced. All the tunes here are very well written and recorded and somehow remind me of the quieter moments from the Beatles' White Album. The basic drum, guitar, bass, vocal format is nicely augmented by judicious overdubs of real strings, vibes, woodwinds, brass and assorted keyboards...

--John Baccigaluppi - Tape Op Magazine

Vocals have always been a high priority for me; the fact is that a lot of local bands have lead singers that would make Bob Dylan cringe. This is not the case on Mollycoddle's fantastic new release. Talented, smart, and atmospheric are words that come to mind in describing Eric Schmider and company's first full-length entitled, Beautiful Californian Failure.
Mollycoddle makes it cool to know how to play your instrument again. This was the rage in the '70s, but quickly went out when bands like Yes, ELP, and the rest of the prog rockers required a Berklee degree to simply listen. Mollycoddle recalls the days of Joe Jackson, Elvis Costello, T-Rex and, may I dare say, The Beatles. This is true in the sense that the selections motivate me into imagining songs that the Fab Four may have written had they stayed together.
Another aspect I love about this record is the instrumental variety. Trumpet, saxaphone, clarinet, cello, and vibes all make appearances. What's more, the guest crew can really play! Lyrically, the themes range from love had, love lost, love sucks and everything in between, including masturbation.
My only critique is the inclusion of the cover of T-Rex's "Cosmic Dancer." It's a good song and Russell Chudnofsky plays a solo that would make Marc Bolan jealous. However, the performance here offers little difference from the Electric Warrior original. With a wealth of great original titles ranging from the danceable "Maintain the Tension" the introspective "Love Is" and the jazz loungy "Physics," "Cosmic Dancer" may have ended upon on the cutting board had Beautiful Californian Failure been a T-Rex record. (Mike Diplomat)

- The Noise