The Justice

Charles Darwin was the subject of one of the first songs Chris Smither played in his performance Friday night in the Slosberg Recital Hall. It was called "Origin of the Species," and although such an intellectual topic might seem out of place in the context of the blues, evolution came to occupy a central theme of the performance. Rather than resisting the passing of time and attempting to capture and recreate the music of his youth, Smither has embraced his age. This was evident in his stage persona-consistent in both his lyrics and his stage banter-and in the character of his music, both of which bespoke the pathos of a man humbled by age.

Aided by an audio setup that left a sweet resonance in the wake of each distinct high note, Smither deftly adapted his traditional folk-blues finger style to the modern content of his work. The simplicity of his foot-tapping and picking patterns belied the subtle intricacy of guitar fills, in which Smither went beyond the standard pentatonic parameters of blues with sweetly melodic arpeggios. His deep, growling voice never rose above a certain low register, somewhere between Tom Waits and Bruce Springsteen. This combination of vocal and guitar styles allowed Smither to marry the blues-a genre that puts in mind a place and time that today only exist in memory-to a personal style and lyrical content that are uniquely contemporary.

Smither uses the lexicon of traditional American music, including simple metaphors, incorrect grammar and pastoral imagery, and many of his songs borrow the basic 12-bar style, but where he could end up merely echoing Mississippi John Hurt or Skip James, he goes further. Smither injects a heavy dose of self-conscious irony into each tune, never remaining serious for more than a moment at a time. His subject-and the object of his derision-is nearly always himself. This line exemplifies his self-deprecation: "I never was good-looking but now I'm too old to let that get me down." Throughout the evening, Smither regaled his audience with the distinctive humor of someone resigned to the bemused disillusionment of old age.

Continued...

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