photo courtesy of Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones via Knyvet
Single Reviews of Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones: “Big Ass American Car” and “Motor City Yankee”
This year so far, the incorrigible Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones have released a pair of loud, fun, in-your-face, catchy garage rock singles, “Big Ass American Car” and “Motor City Yankee.”
Both songs resonate with me, and for the same reason. The first release, “Big Ass American Car,” is the sort of song a Michigander like me can fully appreciate, while “Motor City Yankee” chronicles Smitty’s move from Michigan to Massachusetts, something that mirrors my own life history. So why don’t I get down to reviewing the songs themselves. OK, sure, I was just getting to that.
image courtesy of Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones via Knyvet
But first, Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones, on these recordings, are Smitt E. Smitty (lead vocals), James Melanson (guitar), Eddie Nowik (guitar), Andrew Padua (bass), Jonathan LaMaster: (violin), Johnny Sestito (drums), and backing vocalists JoEllen Saunders Yannis, Linda Bean Pardee, and Heather Rice-Fahey.
The first of the two singles, “Big Ass American Car” is a thumping, raucous ode to the American auto industry and Americans’ love of driving. Note also the shoutout to Kalamazoo, a neat but oft-overlooked Michigan city. As for the song, it’s loud, shouty, and obnoxiously fun, with some aggressively fun guitar riffs. It’s a high-production-value garage rock-styled anthem. It feels a little over the top at times, but in a lovable way, exactly what you expect from Smitt E. Smitty & the Fezztones and why you need their music in your collection, because there will be specific times when this is exactly what you need.
image courtesy of Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones via Knyvet
“Motor City Yankee,” next, is just as rowdy and stylistically similar. I’m not from Detroit, but it’s the biggest city in my original home state (and I was a member of the Detroit Musicians Alliance for a few years before I moved away), so to me, this Detroit-to-Boston story mostly rings true. I think, also shoutouts to city-specific locations and bands (Alice Cooper, MC5, for example) will appeal to those with roots in one or both cities. I’d love to have seen the band work Boston Coolers into the lyrics, but it’s hard to get Vernors in Boston, anyway, so I can deal with its absence. Musically, the song’s energy starts at 10 on a 10 scale, ramps up to 11, and stays there. A universally fun romp. Combined with the band’s preceding release, “Big Ass American Car,” it just serves to drive home that we all need more Smitt E. Smitty & the Fezztones in our lives.
Now, just like a ’90s/’00s romantic comedy, I’m getting to the end but find myself in a situation that I don’t know how to wrap. So I’ll just jump to the conclusion: Smitt E. Smitty’s two latest singles are great fun. You should listen to them!
