All Smiles – Oh, for the Getting and Not Letting Go

Jim Fairchild has a lot to smile about these days. All Smiles is the moniker of Fairchild who created his own brand of indie pop/rock with the help of producer Brian Deck (Red Red Meat, Califone, Iron & Wine, Modest Mouse) and drummer Joe Plummer (Modest Mouse, Black Heart Procession) to name a few. He even filled-in for Johnny Marr during Modest Mouse’s February and March 2009 tour. Before he hit the road though, he worked on his second and most recent record Oh, for the Getting and Not Letting Go. The album has a harder edge than its predecessor, but the same vocal harmonies, smooth as velvet, still float about Fairchild’s thoughtful songwriting.

Fairchild certainly has a knack for composing and arranging. Hooks sustained by vocal harmonies and masterful arrangements accented with an ever present raspy electric guitar are the meat and potatoes of the album. Acoustic guitar and piano aren’t as prominent as they were on the first album, Ten Readings of a Warning, but they do peek in and out of songs, creating lush musical textures. The hooks on the album are as catchy as ever and utilize spacious harmonies and perfectly placed xylophone, piano and guitar instrumentation. Fairchild combines each element effectively and intelligently, placing detailed musical goodies throughout each track.

The record demonstrates Fairchild has mastered the art of coaxing a song to its climax, while crafting heartbreaking and heartwarming lyrics that reminisce and beg. “Maps to the Homes of Former Foes,” begins more in the style of his last record with a simple melody at the beginning of the track that builds into a glorious conclusion as Fairchild slowly emaciates each layer until a lone acoustic guitar is all that remains.

The album ventures more into guitar-driven indie rock, especially on “I Was Never the One.” The track touts a “Beach Boy-esque” harmony drenched in reverb during each chorus that is followed by a gaggle of instruments that Fairchild effortlessly fits together like pieces of a puzzle.

Much of the record feels like an innocent preschooler walking into a candy shop with the intent to do whatever it takes to get a gumball – the ordeal concludes with an semi-apologetic Fairchild walking out of the store feeling alone and slightly guilty, a tone that is echoed throughout the album. The loneliness felt on the record may stem from Fairchild moving away from his West Coast friends and family to a dreary Chicago neighborhood steeped in winter. The album constantly shifts from bitterness and anger to complacence and resoluteness reflecting Fairchild’s passion for creating songs that speak and breathe with a variety of emotional undertones.

Oh, for the Getting and Not Letting Go will traverse what seems like common ground only to take unexpected twists by introducing untraditional chord progressions and instruments that occasionally peek out from a blanket of sound. Fairchild varies the musical landscape by using elements that resemble Elliot Smith singing one syllable choruses that that evoke dreary sentiments. The record is rooted in pop but makes a solid effort into the rock realm by way of clever guitar hooks that are sure to snag the ears of the most casual pop enthusiasts. Fairchild has a solid record with many elements that weave together to form a beautiful sonic tapestry.

Tagged as: Chicago, indie pop, Indie Rock

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