Denny Smith

"The first “great” new release of 2013 has arrived by Nashville indie rock band The Great Affairs. Front man Denny Smith and company kick off the new year right with this infectious, 7-track EP, that’s guaranteed to filch your soul and rankle inside your mind until it drives you bat shit crazy. Key tracks include the Tom Petty-esque “Sherrybaby,” the scorching “Fists & Guitars,” and “Gone,” which recalls 1970s era Rod Stewart. The Great Affairs’ 4 is a surefire cure for the winter blues and your ailing rock n’ roll heart."
-Eric Allen

"‘Fists & Guitars’, as its title suggests, is a full-on rock ‘n’ roll thrasher – and it’s on this Kenny Wright penned number that the promise of the revitalized Great Affairs being a kick-ass band really delivers.  With a ragged style and a no-holds-barred rock ‘n’ roll aesthetic, The Great Affairs crank out sweaty riffs akin to early AC/DC meeting with the Led Zeppelin 1971 classic ‘Rock And Roll’. While each of these songs offers something of listening interest, this is the pick of the crop."

Lee

Real Gone

"Denny Smith and his band The Great Affairs return in 2013 with a seven-song EP entitled “4.” After taking most of last year off, the band comes back with one of their strongest efforts to date. The band sounds tight. Denny’s songwriting should be compared to some of the great classic rockers like Tom Petty and Neil Young."

JP's Music Blog

"We hear roots poppers like The Jayhawks, some Paul Westerberg solo/latter period Replacements throughout the record...a shimmering blend of country, folk, and bar band rock-leaning songs. Listening to these guys make music is a beautiful American experience."

"If ever there was a case study on how to produce perfect power pop that combines fantastic rhythms, intelligent lyrics and finely crafted songs, with superb production values, that will endure for many years - this is it. I think this album will be looked upon as a classic years from now."

Vocalist/guitarist Denny Smith delivers 10 songs, each one dripping with raspy vocals and tight power-pop arrangements. The Cheap Trick influence is audible on "Born A Ghost", while "Drown" has a Talking Heads vibe, but the songs don't come any stronger or punchier than opener "Head Light"....hooks aplenty.

Drawing musical sustenance and inspiration from the likes of Elvis Costello, The Cars, and Cheap Trick, fORMER ploughs an unashamedly retro feel. The 80s will seep from your speakers within seconds of opening gambit "Head Light" bouncing in on its simple garage band-style riffage.

"Fix You" and "Lie To Me" display a certain harmonic knack as ooh-ahh backing vocals add a certain sweetness to offset a surprising but decidedly melancholy undercurrent. The melodies and harmonies are where it's at for these guys, with basic basic guitar lines offering the bare minimum of riffola. Still, it didn't do The fecking Beatles any harm...

fORMER's self-defined "Loud Pop" is chock full of driving, crunchy, uber-catchy Rock underpinned by some excellent three-part vocals and chunky guitar from a band who sound as if they're having the time of their lives. A great, fun-filled album.

There's a new sound from Nashville and one that you wouldn't ordinarily associate with that musical mecca. This is the sound of melodic, punky pop rockers fORMER. Refreshingly they don't sound as typically American as say bands like Good Charlotte or Sum 41. Sure there are some Cheap Trick moments on this disc but mix that with some good old British punk and new wave influences and you've got a band that you can't quite pinpoint where they live just by listening to their music.

The album's intro has me thinking of The Ruts but that dissipates upon the entrance of Denny Smith's strange vocals. Strange is good. He has style. His evocative vocals come from the same school as Greg Dulli, Sponge's Vinnie Dombroski and Subcircus' Peter Bradley Jnr. There's something more going on here than singing. Something more evocative. The chorus picks back up into punk territory with shouted gang vocals. Connecting the punk passages are musically inventive pieces that may get you thinking of anyone from The Wildhearts to Jellyfish. A strong opener.

And a strong follow-up too. 'Fix You' cements all of these influences into a hook laden song convincingly put across by Denny's vocal delivery.

The hooks keep a-coming with 'How Does It Feel' - another contender for standout track. The vocal production is brilliant - close and intimate reminding me of Paloalto with a backing sounding as if lifted from Angel's classic 'Sinful' album.

'Lie To Me' conjures up a whole platoon of influences; Aimee Mann, Bay City Rollers, Redd Kross, Mansun, Haven and The Cars. This built-in familiarity has instant classic written all over it.

'Born A Ghost' is a lyrical adjunct to 'The Ghost At Number One' by Jellyfish. A musically interesting and spacious song that resolves into another punky push in the chorus.

And talking of the band being musically interesting just listen to 'Blue Divide' which stretches out into typical Wildhearts meandering. And then there's 'Sisters' with its sleazy intro and inventive middle section which turns as dark as Queen's 'Death On Two Legs' and as funky as The Electric Boys...wow!

'Say It Isn't So' has a funky pop sensibility similar to what Kiss played about with on their much underrated 'Unmasked' album. The overall effect here is much punchier and heavier and augmented with a backdrop of Jellyfish-like harmonies.

fORMER are a cool find this early in 2012. A perfect blend of power pop, punk and rock for your money. The album is very well produced and the songs? There's not a bad one on the album. Had I heard this record last month I'm sure that it would be sitting comfortably in my top 20 albums of the year.

"The Kids Deserve Cable ....The riffs are sharp, the choruses are neat, yet catchy and there isn't a moment on The Kids Deserve Cable that isn't thoroughly enjoyable, with opener "Head Light" simply exploding with energy, while "Born A Ghost" cleverly tones things down in a way that might just go top 10 with the kids and parents alike. Add to that "Sister", which offers up a seductive piano motif that makes way for gritty chorus and "How Does It Feel", which really could be a summer anthem and there's no doubt that fORMER have the smarts and capability to hit the mainstream."

"Since the release of 2008's And Nothing But the Truth, Former's Denny Smith has been busy with The Great Affairs, releasing 2 full-lengths and an EP. But here Smith puts his alter ego aside for another turn of hard power pop that has more in common with Butch Walker and Cheap Trick than the mellow roots pop of his other band. The frenetic "Head Light" lets you know where you stand right off the bat with a driving hard pop beat that recalls the Foo Fighters. "How Does it Feel?" steps off the accelerator a bit but still rocks out in a Steve Bertrand/Rob Bonfiglio fashion, while "Sister" has that Walker's kind of swagger. And "Lie to Me" is a flat-out classic (see video below). For those who want to emphasize the "power" in "power pop", this is your disc."

"You might be able to guess that this record has been in the planning stages for about 3 years now…otherwise the boys in the power pop and rock outfit fORMER might have entitled it “The Kids Deserve Netflix”. At any rate, I think many fans will agree that the ten songs on this new record were well worth the wait.

Plenty of punchy, crunchy guitar bring these songs to life, and Smith’s vocals have a mild raspy quality that match the prototype for this genre. While virtually every track is a fun and engaging listen, one of my favorites is the built-for-radio mid-tempo rocker “How Does It Feel” – kind of a Cheap Trick – Tom Petty fusion. With its luscious harmonies, “Lie To Me” comes across just as strong – in a different decade, this could have easily been a top 10 hit. “Fix You” is propelled by an infectious guitar riff, building up to another rewarding chorus. “Come On” is another memorable highlight at the tail end of the record. If you want to hear a less commercial side of fORMER, check out tracks like “Blue Divide” or “Head Light”, which have a more contemporary Jimmy Eat World feel.

Check out fORMER if you like SafetySuit, The Gaslight Anthem, or Get Up Kids."

"...playing loose and having a good, solid time making music from the gut and letting the sparks fly. That it comes off sounding so effortless is testimony to the talents of the participants. Fans of The Jayhawks, The V-Roys and Limbeck should dive right in."

“ .."an aural barrage of Americana pop, country rock and honky-stomps. Think dusty boots and a crisp-collared button down...country-fried with nuanced pop undertones...straddling alt-country and radio-ready rawk. One part Whiskeytown, throwback Soul Asylum and the Jayhawks with a bit of Wilco thrown in for good measure, The Great Affairs have rendered a respectable outing; truly something for just about everyone."

"Smith is a soulful, rustic rock `n' roller who's has turned out a consistent string of fine records over the past couple of years. The Great Affairs' music takes in the rootsy guitar rock, the strained angst, the wavery worry of the Honeydogs, the throbbing blood-vessel edginess of Paul Westerberg, and the soulfulness of Paul Carrack-era Squeeze. All delivered with a passion and desperation that demand attention. In the end, it's just straight ahead rock and roll. No frills. Not sappy, not loud...just oozing with great energy, good songwriting and a powerful voice."

“The Great Affairs-Ricky Took the Wheels. The Great Affairs are led by Denny Smith, formerly of fORMER, whose "loud" power pop we reviewed here last year. Unlike fORMER, though, The Great Affairs have a more laid-back "Popicana" sound not unlike The Meadows, or the poppier side of Paul Westerberg. Ricky Took the Wheels is actually their second album, with their self-titled debut out late last year, and like the fine debut this has plenty to offer. "Feels Like Home" is as good as this style of pop gets, featuring jangly guitars and hooks and melodies galore, while "So Damn High" and "You're Not Funny" rock in the Tom Petty vein. Smith and crew know their way around a ballad, too, as "My Apologies" and "A Hundred Other Things" demonstrate clearly. And "Last Good Memory" closes the disc as it began, with an excellent roots rocker. ”

"fORMER put the ‘power’ in powerpop rock. The songwriting is so tight it makes a virgin seem a little loose. If fORMER were a popcorn flavour, it would be that salty sweet kind that contradicts, yet completely balances itself. "

“Ricky Took The Wheels” picks up where the last record left off, with the Nashville band serving up more pop Americana. “Feels Like Home” is a terrific way to start things off…an upbeat number straight out of the Tom Petty songbook. Hearing The Great Affairs play this one feels like home, indeed, and this one is my favorite off the new album. “Inside Your Head” also has its charms, with a bit of Black Crowes injected into the punchy riffs. The verses shake you a bit, but it is the wonderful pre-chorus that gets you moving. “My Apologies” is a sparse and lovely fingerpicked tune, but then “You’re Not Funny” arrives - a bluesy road house track that gets your blood pumping once again. Similarly, “Bastard Son” is a driving pop rocker that proves these guys can be more accessible if they want to be. Finally, the record ends on a high note with the crazy good rocker called “Last Good Memory”. Recommended if you like The Jayhawks, Grant Lee Phillips, or Wilco”