More Scared of You than You Are of Me is the fourth studio album by Australian punk band The Smith Street Band. It was released via Pool House Records on 7 April 2017.[1][2][3][4]
| More Scared of You than You Are of Me | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 7 April 2017 | |||
| Genre | Punk rock, indie rock | |||
| Length | 45:05 | |||
| Label | Pool House Records (AUS) Specialist Subject Records (UK) SideOneDummy (US) | |||
| Producer | Jeff Rosenstock | |||
| The Smith Street Band chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from More Scared of You than You Are of Me | ||||
| ||||
At the J Awards of 2017, the album was nominated for Australian Album of the Year.[5]
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 87/100[6] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Exclaim! | 7/10[7] |
| Kerrang! | (Favorable)[6] |
| Paste | 8/10[8] |
More Scared of You than You Are of Me received an average critical score of 87 out of 100, indicating "Universal Acclaim", on Metacritic, based on five reviews.[9] Writing for Tone Deaf, Joseph Earp called the album "a stunning achievement in its own right", rating the album 4 and a half out of 5 and saying " Not a line or a hook is wasted, and despite the fact the running time brushes up close to the 40-minute mark, nothing about the record feels overlong or unnecessary. Every song is contingent; every song matters."[10] Jessica Milsome writing for The Music gave *More Scared of You than You Are of Me* 4 out of 5 stars, saying "It's a refreshing change in the band's usually melancholic approach," and "If you're a fan of The Smith Street Band, you'll love it. If you've never tried them before, this is the album to start with."[11] Hilary Saunders, writing for Paste Magazine gave the album an 8/10, writing; "The band's sincerity is also apparent in its name—an homage to Bruce Springsteen's legendary backing band. But More Scared of You Than You Are of Me doesn't drive listeners away with its repeated tributes and clunky title. Rather, the 12-song collection ensnares listeners with its tight song structures, yelping melodies and energy delivered via middle-of-the-neck pitched guitar riffs." Jonny Nail from Rolling Stone Australia gave the album 4/5 stars and said "As a test of the versatility of their trademark sound, More Scared Of You... is a pass. As a testament to one of the country's best lyricists in full flight, it's a true triumph." Three of the album's singles appeared in Triple J's Hottest 100 with "Death To The Lads" reaching #21 in 2016[12] while "Passiona" and "Birthdays" came in at #49 and #21 respectively in 2017.[13] "Shine" also managed to chart in the Hottest 200 of 2017 coming in at #110.[14]
Track listing
editAll music is composed by The Smith Street Band
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Forrest" | 2:52 |
| 2. | "Birthdays" | 3:34 |
| 3. | "Death to the Lads" | 3:29 |
| 4. | "Song for You" | 4:00 |
| 5. | "Passiona" | 3:45 |
| 6. | "Run into the World" | 4:56 |
| 7. | "Shine" | 3:46 |
| 8. | "25" | 4:08 |
| 9. | "It Kills Me to Have to Be Alive" | 3:03 |
| 10. | "Suffer" | 3:08 |
| 11. | "Young Once" | 5:04 |
| 12. | "Laughing (Or Pretending to Laugh)" | 3:36 |
| Total length: | 45:20 | |
Personnel
editThe Smith Street Band
- Wil Wagner – vocals, guitars, keyboards
- Lee Hartney – lead guitar, gang vocals
- Michael "Fitzy" Fitzgerald – bass, gang vocals
- Chris Cowburn – drums, percussion, vocals, timpani
Other musicians
- Jeff Rosenstock – guitar, keyboards, piano, saxophone, synthesizer, gang vocals
- Jess Locke – vocals ("Birthdays")
- Laura Stevenson – vocals ("Run into the World")
- Tim Rogers – vocals ("Run into the World")
- Tantri Mustika – gang vocals ("Shine")
Charts
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[15] | 3 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (2017) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[16] | 99 |
| Year | Song | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2016[12] | "Death To The Lads" | 21 |
| 2017[13][14] | "Shine" | 110 |
| "Passiona" | 49 | |
| "Birthdays" | 21 |
References
edit- ^ "More Scared of You Than You Are of Me by The Smith Street Band". iTunes. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
- ^ "Smith Street Band's 'More Scared Of You' up for order". Modern Vinyl. 13 February 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
- ^ "Smith Street Band announce 'More Scared of You Than You Are of Me' album tour". ABC.net. 3 March 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
- ^ "The Smith Street Band inject some synth in their ballsy new single 'Birthdays'". Faster Louder. 14 February 2017. Archived from the original on 17 February 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
- ^ "The J Award 2017". Triple J. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
- ^ a b "Reviews and Tracks for More Scared of You than You Are of Me by The Smith Street Band". Metacritic.
- ^ Feibel, Adam. "The Smith Street Band - More Scared of You Than You Are of Me". Exclaim!.
- ^ Saunders, Hilary. "The Smith Street Band: More Scared Of You Than You Are Of Me Review". Paste.
- ^ "Reviews and Tracks for More Scared of You than You Are of Me by The Smith Street Band". Metacritic. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- ^ Earp, Joseph (4 April 2017). "The Smith Street Band's 'More Scared Of You Than You Are of Me' is a stunning achievement". Tonedeaf.com.au. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- ^ "The Smith Street Band More Scared Of You Than You Are Of Me Jessica Milsome". Themusic.com.au. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- ^ a b "1-100 | Hottest 100 2016 | triple j". Abc.net.au. 11 November 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ a b "1-100 | Hottest 100 2017 | triple j". Abc.net.au. 11 November 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ a b "101-200 | Hottest 100 2017 | triple j". Abc.net.au. 11 November 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – The Smith Street Band – More Scared of You Than You Are of Me". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- ^ "ARIA End of Year Albums 2017". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 5 January 2018.