To be completely honest, I’m a little late to the Caroline Smith bandwagon, but I think a lot of people are. Smith merges ‘90s R&B with neo-soul to create a truly amazing style of music all her own.
Her most recent and debut album, Half About Being A Woman, was released back in 2013 and I only found her music about a week ago from a recommendation from a friend. Since I first heard her sultry and soulful voice I was hooked and haven’t listened too much else.
Smith made her start in the music world with an indie folk band, Caroline Smith and the Good Night Sleeps, which last released material in 2011. Caroline has since begun a solo career moving from the folk genre to a more soulful, R&B approach, similar to Erykah Badu and D’Angelo.
With “Half About Being A Woman,” she built an album centered on feeling empowered and sexy all the time. Starting with my favorite song, “Magazine,” she breaks down the ideals of cover models with a fun, driving jam. This breakdown of media continues even more in the music video, which features women of all shapes, sizes and colors showing off how beautiful they all are.
Moving on to a slower note, the title track “Half About Being A Women” is an emotional ballad about lost love. A jazzy guitar and swung drum beat lay down a style and Smith’s voice tells the story. It’s actually quite heartbreaking; her voice sounds true and has a lot of depth behind it, which is something that many popular artists can’t emanate. This emotion can be seen in even more detail in the music video.
“Bloodstyle” is another of my top songs by her. It has a moderate, walking tempo that is fuelled by the hopping piano, which creates a laid-back atmosphere. “Stopping you was like starting the wrong way home/But something still kept me on,” Smith sings, leading into a jazzy saxophone solo that mimics her voice.
There is also “Child of Moving On” which sounds closest to her folk roots but combines it with her new ‘90’s R&B vibe. This is definitely her most vocally impressive pieces; it’s sung like a true jazz singer.
Most recently she released a song with Lizzo titled “Let ‘Em Say.” I could try to give a description to this song, but Lizzo puts it perfectly in the music video description. “[This song is] In celebration of all the ladies out there that were told they were ‘too this’ and ‘not enough that’; All of the mamas out there busting their asses; All of the women out there that make us proud to hold a microphone.” This bumping hit came to fruition during their tour and they even got an amusing, simple video to tie this lovely song up like a present.
My hope is that Smith will start making more music. This first album is amazing, but it’s just a taste—I’m craving more. This relaxed R&B style has really taken over my music taste, whether I’m walking to class or just doing homework, Caroline Smith mellows me out.
https://open.spotify.com/user/dutastyjams/playlist/4qpTO63ho7gqlZVMDbxcqc
