Editorial Reviews

Since 2000, the Smithereens have shown little to no interest in recording original material, preferring to scavenge the back catalog of the Beatles and the Who for songs, but someone in the band has been working up some new tunes of their own -- drummer Dennis Diken, who has teamed up with multi-instrumentalist and singer Pete DiBella to form the combo Bell Sound. Their album, Late Music, delivers 13 pieces of retro-styled pop that pay explicit homage to various musical styles of the past -- "Lost Bird" is easygoing light jazz with a Latin touch, "Standing in That Line" was clearly written under the influence of Brian Wilson, "So Hard to Say Goodbye" chugs along like some lost late-'60s AM pop nugget, "Long, Lonely Ride" is a dead ringer for the Who circa 1966, "Tell All the Fools" is dancefloor-friendly R&B, and the lighter side of psychedelia seeps into "Temptation Cake." Diken and DiBella (and a handful of guest players, including Andy Paley and Andrew Sandoval) have their studio craft down, approximating the sound and style of the various past eras with skill and no small enthusiasm, and while DiBella isn't quite as versatile as a vocalist, his solid and capable singing finds a way to fit each of these selections. The songs often work better as homage than as original creations, but they certainly honor their sources well, and Late Music's enthusiasm for a decade of great pop record making is infectious -- this is an album made by music fans for music fans, and anyone who spins "Happy Jack," Pet Sounds, or Odessey and Oracle on a regular basis will find something here that will give them a big smile. Mark Deming, All Music Guide

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