Album Review/ Rock : Maverick Smith’s ‘Slightly Different Reality’

Maverick Smith is an alt rock band whose sound travels across time. Eras, and ethos blended to tell layered stories. Tales that are given an atmosphere, a soul, enclosed in a world of its own. All this to say, the band is not restricted in their sound. As you listen, you’ll feel the liberated spirit of their craft, one that is dedicated to capture feeling and transfer it to the listener. Like a fly trapped in amber. Their latest release is ‘Slightly Different Reality’ , a collection that represents the peaks and valleys of their style.

‘Waste of Time’ opens the album. A track with a modern pop rock feel, weaved in with classic rock solos and colorful vocals. The voice has a candid melancholic pulse that seems to pass on to the listener. Like a wave, it ebbs and flows between a sweetness and contemplative woes. It has a twin track in the album. ‘Life in Vain’, a track that is a little bit more edgy and urgent. But it has this same soft underbelly that can feel exalting. If you like the Cranberries, then these tracks will take you back to them. 

There are a lot of soft rock/ dream pop blends across the album. Each one walking their own path with nuanced musical filters and features. ‘Pain on a Record’ is a glaze of feeling. It is buoyant. Most of the song is so light, lifting off the ground. Floating with a daze that you can disperse into. Electric chords in the chorus softly anchor the composition. Its lukewarm atmosphere is the perfect space to spread out into your heartache. 

You’ll encounter a similar daze in tracks like ‘Over The Edge’, ‘Hurts and Saves’, and ‘Doomsday’. Songs that lie in expansive textures and evocative frames. ‘Shades of Memories’ and ‘Make My Bed - Radio Edit’ reintroduce dynamic rock back into the collection. The former has a little bit of a hard rock sense. As it emerges, it evolves with a crackling Americana sound. The vocals are anthemic. And true to the title, everything is in a gradient. All the elements flutter with change but still shine with stylistic harmony and cohesive emotion. The latter has a little bit of a moody blues dimension. Carried by a groovy, grungey instrumental flow, it has that underground edge with a latent punk built into it. 

The band is an expert in musical articulation. Their technique is dedicated to nuance that helps them capture the layers of human experience and emotion. It’s immersing and full of thoughtful musical details that you can journey with.

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The album is available for streaming on popular sites like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music!

You can listen to ‘Slightly Different Reality’ by Maverick Smith here -