Rett Smith’s stirring shoegaze track ‘Sunsets’ is the third taste of the Austin-based musician’s upcoming album
Rett Smith has released ‘Sunsets’, the third single to be lifted from his forthcoming album ‘A Weighted Remorse’. A stirring slice of dark shoegaze, the track sees the Austin-based musician dip into blues undertones and cleanse his past emotional debts.
There’s a grittiness to the opening moments, with spaghetti western-style guitar licks and the rustic timbre of Smith’s vocals.
Serving an exercise in versatility, ‘Sunsets’ at once feels like both a country anthem and a strident rock and roll cut, as Smith sings atop the galloping rhythmic pattern of the bass and drums.
Cinematic in its scope, it’s the kind of song you’d imagine on the soundtrack of a 70s Western film, playing as an outlaw cocks his gun or mounts his horse.
While all the staples of shoegaze are there, from distorted guitars to cascading feedback, Smith brings sharper edges to the sound.
The addition of dense, shimmering textures and the hardiness of his vocals, Smith creates a sound that feels wholly his own, with a knack for storytelling to boot.
Using lyricism as an emotional purge, the track reflects on a loveless existence while conjuring vivid images of dollar bills and sunsets over the hill.
Later, Smith halts the storytelling for a teeth-baring instrumental section, before a fading outro of jagged guitars brings his tale to a close.
“‘Sunsets’ encapsulates the ethos and intention behind the making of my new album,” Smith said in a press statement, “possibly more than any other song on the record.”
‘Sunsets’ is accompanied by an official music video, which itself will form part of a broader short film premiering alongside the album’s release.
‘A Weighted Remorse’ will arrive in September, after which Smith will tour the album with a string of European shows slated for the following month.
We’ve so far been treated to three singles from the project, with ‘Cabin Song’ and ‘7 Train’ arriving in October and February, respectively.
If those tracks and ‘Sunsets’ are anything to go by, we’re in for a treat. Listen to Rett Smith’s new single ‘Sunsets’ below.
