Sean Smith

Underachiever is the first solo release from storied NYC musician Sean Smith (formerly of Pawnshop).With tracks produced by David Immerglück (Counting Crows) and Jesse Malin, recorded in Los Angeles and New York respectively, Underachiever features some of the top musicians of both cities. Joining Smith's warm, shimmering acoustic, Immerglück holds down wailing pedal steel and lap steel, plus bass, along with Counting Crows bandmate Charles Gillingham on piano, Wurlitzer, and organ. Chris Seefried, long time friend and musical co-conspirator rounds out the LA sessions with beautiful harmonies on "Kathryn" and haunting piano and organ on "Sugarsweet", the albums closing track. Back in New York, Christine Smith (Malin, Ryan Adams, Crash Test Dummies) accompanies on keyboards and vocals, along with Amalia Daskalakis (MadJuana) on viola.Smith's music hearkens to Paul Westerberg, Elvis Costello, Big Star, and the Kinks in its lyrical preciseness, raw moods, wit, grit, and power. Singing of love won and lost, inebriated evenings one block south of Houston with the radio on, promises made and broken, and the crash of nameless (although sometimes quite pinpointed) desire, his soulful voice reaches out and wraps you in the vision of his emotion...