In gestation for some time, but somewhat delayed by the ravages of the pandemic, Smile is Skindred’s eighth album and, in its simple imperative, something of a mission statement. For fans of the band, a number of the tracks will already be very familiar, having been aired live for some time now, and it is these songs that also emerge as the strongest pieces on the album. Elsewhere, the band indulge their wide array of influences, with mixed, but frequently enjoyable results.
Given the strength of the band’s effervescent live shows, you can’t help but feel that the opening for Smile had to be huge and, in Our Religion, Skindred have achieved exactly that. Following a short, quasi-hymnal intro, a gargantuan riff detonates and we’re off. Benji is in fine form, running through his wide vocal range, throwing in rap elements, a typically melodic chorus, and a heavy rock growl, all within the space of just four little minutes. It makes for a hell of an introduction, setting the stage for what’s to follow. Certainly, the pace is maintained on Gimme That Boom, a well-worn number with which the band have been decimating audiences these last few months. Short and sharp, it’s an explosive anthem with zero fat and plenty of attitude. Next up, Set Fazers, Star Trek pun aside, is a dynamic piece that flits effortlessly between the blazing riffs of the chorus and a stripped-down verse that sees Daniel Pugsley’s bass given plenty of space in which to roam.
After its pretty full-on start, the record starts to diversify, drawing in more influences to explore the wider fringes of Skindred’s sound. A more dynamic piece, Life That’s Free has an airier vocal from Benji, backed by a drum and bass style beat from Arya Goggin, and the track ends up sounding like a heavy metal Dreadzone. In contrast, despite a chorus that seems drawn from a soft rock ballad, If I Could proves surprisingly lively, although it’s the side-closing L.O.V.E that encourages the biggest smiles, exactly as it was intended to do. It’s been a live highlight for some time, and it is similarly joyful on record, with its sampled horns and good-time attitude.
Things stay chilled, with the band bringing in heavier dub vibes on This Appointed Love, although bearded guitar monster Mikey Demus is lurking in the wings to electrify the chorus. A little less certain is the stomp-along Black Stars. While the verse has a storming riff pitching the track as one of the album’s heavier pieces, the band can’t quite decide what to do with it, and the melodic chorus draws a good deal of its bite. Similarly,State of The Union feels a tad throwaway, despite a strong vocal from Benji, and it’s a relief when the brilliant Addicted takes elements of SoCal punk and Cypress Hill, throwing them into the blender for our enjoyment. While the bouncy Mama doesn’t quite capitalise on this energy, it’s got an insistent melody and a great vocal. The album then finishes with the strident call to arms, Unstoppable, which takes us back to the frothy metal of the opening tracks, Mikey pitching a grinding riff against Arya’s catchy beat making for one hell of a finale.
Smile is a decent album, and a whole lot of fun, but it’s not without its flaws. When it connects (as it often does), the band are every bit as unstoppable on record as they are on stage. However, the album’s overall flow does not work to its advantage and, having frontloaded the bulk of the album’s heaviest tracks, Skindred have left the more diverse pieces clustered in the middle, resulting in something of an uneven pace. That said, it’s impossible not to warm to Benji’s infectious positivity, and there are more than enough belters here to keep fans hooked until the band next roll into town. 7.5/10
