Austin Sound

Let’s just get the completely obvious out of the way: Drew Smith’s Lonely Choir is clearly and unequivocally influenced – heavily – by Harry Nilsson and Randy Newman. From the piano playing, to Smith’s vocals, to the production and orchestration, to the lyrics, to the obvious lead-off track “Nilsson sings Newman.” And, it’s utterly fantastic and pleasantly refreshing to hear homage to songwriters not named Dylan, Young, Springsteen, and Costello. Drew Smith and his band, the Lonely Choir, create perfect pop classics that will warm the ears of Newman and Nilsson fans – and likely the fans of indie acts like Spoon, and The Shins.