The Smiley Smile Message Board

Anybody into this? I liked their last one to an extent but it didn't really grip me beyond a handful of listens.

At first this new one sounded more of the same, but the songs, and general blissed out, unhurried pace have really got me hooked - it's kind of subtle and took a while to grow. It's a bit like a softened version of Merriweather Post Pavillion, or at least a lot of the keyboard work sounds similar. And the blissed out feel reminds me of Can't Wait Too Long, or at least puts my head in the same space.

The new one is a little disappointing. Cuz i loved "Teen Dream". I was expecting more of a progression. But I thought it was kinda more of the same. Like you said, a Merriweather Post Pavillion copy. And I did hear the Beach Boys influence too.

i checked out this group about a month ago and i must say i'm impressed with their dreamy sound :) and they sound like they are beach boy influenced.
i cant get anything by them for some reason i can't get into female vocalist :/

Initially I was non plussed by much of it but the songs grow on you - there are some great hooks and some really beautiful melodies. And so much space given to some passages  - the repeating note in Irene is cool.

Hearing this makes me want to give Teen Dream another chance.


Ha ha! Maybe listen to some American Spring first to get you past that!!  ;)

What would be a good album to get by them who isn't too familar with them? I've heard great things about them, just not sure where to start.

I'm no expert having only heard the most recent two. For me, the latest seems better crafted and has tighter, more impressive songwriting than Teen Dream - they have created a really crystalline, beautiful sound. It's not to everybody's tastes - the songs all sound fairly similar to begin with and all have a fairly blissed out, unhurried feel. If that's your thing, you should definitely check out Bloom.

I liked Devotion quite a bit when it came out but Teen Dream bored me and I haven't bothered with the new one.  Not a bad band, but I do think they're overrated.

I finally checked these guys out after hearing the name a few times: I like very much! 'The Hours' is rattling about inside my head quite a bit. Kind of Beach Boys meets Cocteau Twins, I think.