When we last checked in with NYC's Smith Taylor, his falsetto was gently soaring all over the psychedelic soul ballad "Down Bad Bad." Today he's back with a whole new EP called Field Service, and it rules.
Field Service applies a lo-fi punk aesthetic and a hip-hop attitude to a foundation of retro rock, soul, and maybe even a little rockabilly? Taylor stunts on us on the project's booming bookends "IF ITS NOT VEGAN ITS MURDER" and "FFFF-FUCK EM." On "Be One," he lets his falsetto float across something like Mac DeMarco-meets-R&B guitar. "Jack Johnson II" sounds like something the rabid European punk label La Vida Es Un Mus might put out, while "Greedy White Men" is like a Pixies song from several decades before the Pixies formed.
Even as the music shifts significantly from track to track, the point of view remains consistent and compelling. It's like listening to a portfolio of great ideas from an artist who could do amazing things if given the resources to do so, but one who is doing amazing things already with the tools of the lo-fi trade. It's raw and inspired, and you should listen to it below.
UPDATE: Taylor has released a companion video that leans into the EP's religious parody. Watch below.
