SHANNON SMITH
‘STARTED OFF WITH LIES’
It’s been a big year for Walyalup/Fremantle artist, Shannon Smith. New release, ‘Started Off With Lies’ is his fifth single for 2024 officially making him one of the most prolific local artists, well…ever. Of course, quantity is one thing, but Smith also is currently mining a rich vein of songwriting prowess that’s seen him sample pretty much all the genres this year except maybe heavy metal. Maybe some sort of ZZ Top tribute is up next, who knows?
His vocals are as fresh as the rain that breaks a drought…
‘Started Off With Lies’, is remarkable not only because it’s another immediate feel-good hit from Smith, but it charts his progression as a musician and marks a significant milestone. When I first listened to Smith’s initial release for 2024, ‘Dance The Night Away’, I wasn’t immediately convinced by the vocals. It’s a great song, but there was something tentative in Smith’s delivery. As the year and his releases have progressed, he’s shown himself to be a handy vocalist. But the vocals on ‘Started Off With Lies’ are in a different league entirely.
‘Started Off With Lies’ kicks into immediate overdrive with Smith singing the tag line unadorned, punchy, on point, surefooted and completely himself. His vocals are as fresh as the rain that breaks a drought and, to my ear, indicative of an artist who, having already achieved good, now has great things ahead of him.
As for the song itself, ‘Started Off With Lies’ is an irresistible pop-rock earworm. It cracks along at a dancefloor-filling pace and has a middle eight that is all seventies swoonglam reconfigured for the 21st Century. There’s a touch of country in there — it probably wouldn’t be Shannon Smith if there wasn’t — but ‘Started Off With Lies’ is more than just a nod to Smith’s musical roots, it’s just possible that it could be his great leap forward.
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