Anthony Smith, “Bringing Back the Sunshine”

Anthony Smith is likely better known as a songwriter than a recording artist. As a well established songwriter, he’s written songs for Trace Adkins”I’m Tryin’”, “Chrome”), George Strait (“Run”), Tim McGraw (“Kristofferson”), Montgomery Gentry (“What Do You Think About That”), Trisha Yearwood (“Who Invented the Wheel”), and countless other big name stars. As a recording artist he has struggled, releasing his 2002 If That Ain’t Country to some positive critical reception, but ultimately met with limited commercial success. In an attempt to revive the singing part of his career, Smith has recently signed with Stroudavarious Records, which has released the offbeat rocker, “Bringing Back the Sunshine”, as the upcoming album’s lead single.

To put it simply, the song is loud. Various amped up Electric guitar patterns drive the song to a somewhat frenzied sonic experience, but it still manages to be more interesting than chaotic in the end. Similarly, the melodic structure is not as straightforward as most songs tend to be, which is both a successful and limiting feature of the song. While the key changes and phrasing keep the song interesting, Smith’s vocals are limited in range, which hampers the song’s over all appeal. Moreover, it feels as if Smith is forced to compete with the screaming guitars rather than being complimented by them.

Written by Anthony Smith & Jess Leary

Grade: B-

Listen: Anthony Smith, “Brining Back the Sunshine”