Chris Smither – Train Home – A Review

by Anita Sandler

Few performers or songwriters can truly stir the soul like Chris Smither does in Train Home, his 11th CD.

I first knew of Chris Smither and his music in the early 70’s when I was playing the coffeehouse circuit in Boston. He was making music with magical lyrics and rhythms that were new to me, an up and coming folkie. It’s hard to believe, but life being what it is, I lost track of Chris and his music for almost 30 years until last summer when friends turned me on to Train Home, his 11th CD. The first time I listened to the title song I played it over and over again…maybe a dozen or more times….No music had grabbed me like that in a long, long time and I just couldn’t get enough. I knew I was hearing the voice, the music, the soul of a musician who had reached his zenith and was at the peak of his creative powers.

To describe Chris’ lyrics at this time in his life is to describe a man at peace with his place on the earth…with words so blunt and forceful you find yourself either laughing or crying out loud. Pure poetry and insight wrapped in a rhythm package fueled by his fast-paced intricate finger picking style and propelled by his percussive foot tapping which he incorporates in his live performance and his recordings.

His soulful and sultry bayou blues is a product of the musical melting pot which has influenced his life and his music. He was born in Miami, grew up in New Orleans, spent time in Paris, and went to school in Mexico City and New Orleans and lives now in Boston. Blues legends, from Lightnin’ John Hopkins, Mississippi John Hurt and Fred McDowell have become a part of his soul and his music…

Train Home was produced by David ‘Goody’ Goodrich and engineered by Mark Thayer who suggested that instead of working one song at a time, he record the album as a set, then take a break and do it all over again in a different order. This allowed for more of a flow from song to song and gives the whole album a groove, a sound, a feel.

There are 7 original songs and 4 covers, all respectful and artful interpretations of the artists he has chosen to honor. Bob Dylan’s “Desolation Row” features harmonies and slide guitar from his friend and long-time supporter Bonnie Raitt, Mississippi John Hurt’s “Candy Man”, a tribute to one of his major musical influences, Richard Furay’s “Kind Woman”, and Dave Carter’s “Crocodile Man”, one of my personal favorites, which Chris sings with a growl as he rumbles around the corners of his soul….but for me this album is all about his original music.

In the title song, “Train Home”, Chris philosophizes on life and death. We see a man at peace with life’s questions, knowing the answer is there are no answers…”Nothing is as clear as this confusion”…and…”Now is what can be, all the rest is wait and see…” Whether he sings of love as in “Never Needed It More”…or of material loss as in “Let It Go”, his vocals convey a sense of truth and introspection.

His grace and humor, his ability to laugh at himself and his place in the human condition…”You know I never was good looking but now I’m too old to let it get me down”…is a gift to all of us. This album is to be experienced…a presence of mood, language, message, melody and rhythm that will stop you in your tracks.