Smoosh
Issue #28
Free to Stay (Barsuk)
By MacKenzie Wilson
Published: June 1st, 2006 | 8:00am
Seattle sister act Asya (age 14) and Chloe (age 12) keep the innocence and sweetness in indie rock, and thank goodness for that. Performing under the Smoosh moniker since 2002, the duo’s 2004 debut album, She Like Electric, introduced a smart, enthusiastic, and imaginative pop sound from the tween duo. But don’t mistake the junior high schoolers’ playful demeanor for naïveté. The breath of fresh air that is Smoosh relies on the pair’s ability to write songs from the heart.
Their second album, Free to Stay, stays true to that high-spirited approach while the double-attack of Chloe’s drums and Asya’s keyboards make for a brighter, sugarcoated pop sound. Opening tracks “Find a Way” and “Free to Stay” are both earnest in encouragement and hope. Smoosh’s honesty mirrors the nudge for others to do the same. The acoustic-guitar-driven ballad “Waiting for Something” highlights a more mature side. Asya’s girlish performance on “Slower Than Gold” is equally moving in feeling.
Smoosh runs through a barrel of emotions well suited for any age, and they also remind us that rocknroll is a helluva lot of fun. The soulful funk of “Rock Song” has a Sleater-Kinney-like strut while “Glider” keeps the momentum going. Smoosh also gets a bit improvisational on the free-jazz jam of “Organ Talk.” The duo knows what’s up — it’s as simple as that.
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