The Smith Street BandMore Scared of You Than You Are of Me

Your first adult break-up is something no amount of adolescent heartbreak can prepare you for. Sure, you can be devastated over the dissolution of something great when the skin’s not as thick, but that first serious relationship that fails on the wrong side of 21, that’s the one that destroys you. Now you’re not just dealing with a broken heart, but evaluating who you are fundamentally as a human person. And after that look inwards no one walks away thinking they like everything about themselves.

In Wagner’s expertly shambolic plainspeak poetry, listeners are allowed to feel sad, but never wallow. That’s always been the beauty of the Smitties – they write sad songs that ultimately make people feel happy, and on More Scared of You than You Are of Me they’ve delivered 12 of their very best.

It’s heavy stuff, but somehow The Smith Street Band manage to turn the subject matter into a joyous, cathartic album that stands above most of the band’s well-loved catalogue. More Scared of You Than You Are of Me finds Australia’s premier punk poet Wil Wagner, a man never afraid of putting his heart on display for the sake of his art, delving even deeper on full length number four. The greater sense of perspective his experiences have afforded him hasn’t dampened our mate’s unbridled enthusiasm though, even if the narrative bent of More Scared of You… sees Wagner and his crew evolve beyond just ‘driving around and singing songs about driving around and singing songs’ and the emotions get hairy, Wil’s zeal for life persists.

In Wagner’s expertly shambolic plainspeak poetry, listeners are allowed to feel sad, but never wallow. That’s always been the beauty of the Smitties – they write sad songs that ultimately make people feel happy, and on More Scared of You than You Are of Me they’ve delivered 12 of their very best.

Standout Tracks: Birthdays, Song for You, Passiona
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