On Sept. 25, Corey Smith will release his latest record, “Hard-Headed Fool.” The album contains strains of gospel, country, blues, rock and even hip-hop.
Photo: Matt Wake
The evolution of Corey Smith from frat house troubadour to contemporary country star is about to turn the corner. On Sept. 25, Smith will release his fourth LP, “Hard-Headed Fool.” The record is a polished yet warm set of acoustic-based numbers. Sometimes the tunes are sparse and dark — like “Beautiful Things,” an earthy meditation on money, sex and drugs.
Other tracks, including “What Happened,” mine an organic shuffle not dissimilar from the Dave Matthews Band. Much of Smith’s new disc drips with retro touches — such as purring Hammond organ and sweeping pedal steel.
The lyrical content on “Hard-Headed Fool” continues the nostalgic musings heard in Smith’s previous work. Tales of underage drinking and moonlight miracles have earned the singer a burgeoning following in the Southeast.
During “Maybe Next Year” Smith describes his Peter Pan-like unwillingness to grow up. The rosy production screams, “modern country hit.” Mandolins flutter and there’s that pedal steel again, stretching out like mercury.
“Pedal steel is THE country instrument,” Smith said. “Once you hear pedal steel on a song, it’s country, no matter what you heard before that came in. It’s not like I was trying to go commercial country by any means. It’s what the songs needed.”
For the title track, slow burn guitars glow as Smith moans his messy ways. Elsewhere on “Hard-Headed Fool,” more serious themes emerge — after all Smith now has two children, a wife and a mortgage to mind.
On “I’m Hank Williams,” Smith admits he can’t touch the song craft of the immortal honky-tonk king. However, Smith does relate to Williams’ road-weary blues. The touring by which Smith earns a living isn’t always compatible with a home life. Dusty-jazz drums and grainy Wurlitzer licks accent the ache.
“My wife married a school teacher,” Smith said, referring to his previous profession. “All this stuff was really a big accident. Sometimes I can’t tell if it’s a blessing or a curse. I just liked writing songs. I never expected it to happen.”
Smith’s breakout has been a backdoor affair. He began penning tunes while attend the University of Georgia in the late-90s; his first performances were delivered as keg party interludes. After graduating in 2001, Smith got married and took a job teaching high school social studies. The music was put on ice.
But a funny thing happened on the way to post-collegiate malaise. Smith began to write songs again as a therapeutic measure. He entered one of his tunes in a songwriting contest. The ditty won Smith a recording session, at which he cut his 2003 debut “Undertones.” Smith began to ease into live shows, and “Undertones” attracted interest from talent buyers across the Peach State. Smith issued another independently released disc in 2004, “In the Mood.” It contained additional boozy fodder.
By 2005, Smith was able to abandon his day gig and pursue music as a full-time vocation. Thanks to an ability to get his homespun songs over in a live setting — and some digital savvy — Smith blossomed into a successful independent artist. Since May 2006, he’s sold over 385,000 downloads — including more than 110,000 units on iTunes. The Georgia-based songwriter is a MySpace maverick. He’s often ranked as the top unsigned country artist on the social working hub and in the top 30 among artists of all genres.
Given Smith’s online efforts, it’s interesting to hear him muse on modern conveniences during “Technology.” The robust track is one of a handful of songs that return to the bare arrangements often heard on Smith’s first three CDs.
Like everything else in his catalog, Smith produced “Hard-Headed Fool.” The set was recorded at Lee Davis Studios in Maysville, Ga. The proprietor of the room played in a band with Smith’s father.
When Smith first began touring 2005’s “The Good Life,” he did so accompanied only by a second acoustic guitarist. Now the ensemble includes a drummer and bassist. At one point, the band also included a fiddle player. According to Smith, the changing presentation is why he hasn’t released a live album yet — despite previous indications to do so.
“To me the live show is very much a work in progress,” Smith said.
Something must be working. Since last year, Smith has sold out more than 80 shows.
Having additional players onstage has changed Smith’s approach to his acoustic playing. Earlier in his career, the guitarist employed typical bar-band acoustic strumming. However, with “Hard-Headed Fool,” Smith’s guitar work is becoming more interesting. Of particular note is the descending figure on “Too Good to Me.”
Growing up in Jefferson, Ga., Smith drifted from genre to genre as a listener. A classic rock and country phase was followed by a Nirvana fixation and, later, an interest in hip-hop. Lately, Smith has been spinning to records by Jason Isbell, Todd Snider and Ryan Adams. He admires the raw, stream-of-consciousness of Adams’ output.
“His sound is dirty and loose,” Smith said. “You don’t hear those trashy, Southern sounding songs much any more. I have some ideas like that for the next album.”
