On the local front, Harrison Smith has been catching attention for a little while now with the fairly weird art punk he makes as Turtlenecked. Part of one of the most dominant labels of the year, Good Cheer Records, Smith and his latest record Vulture have been the topic of write ups left and right. It's entirely warranted.
They're not just from the publications typically expected. Of course the usual Portland pubs like the weeklies (and now us) had words of praise and critique alike, but some the more nationally known outlets are zeroing in on his new sounds. Stereogum has always been a fan, but Pitchfork's evaluation isn't doing Vulture enough justice.
Smith released the album halfway through June and has been on tour in support of it ever since. It shows a progression in Smith's abilities as both a songwriter and a composer of powerful avant-art rock, openly coming into his own at the age in between youthful naivety and the beginnings of aging jadedness. Even more, Smith speaks on ills that seem more prevalent in Portland than anywhere else.
On one of Vulture's standout tracks "Meeting You in the Hospital," Smith touches on the ideas of typical white male bullshit and the all too commonly expected desire for the manic pixie dream girl. It's a bitter reality that's present everywhere, but is so true out here that it has become almost like a caricature. For his second "full" album, Smith hit the nail on the head. Hopefully this third is just as pertinent.
