Soft Will

Smith Westerns - Soft Will
Critic Score
Based on 29 reviews
2013 Ratings: #556 / 1115
User Score
Based on 102 ratings
2013 Rank: #197
June 25, 2013 / Release Date
LP / Format
Mom+Pop / Label
Indie Rock / Genre
Sign In to rate and review

CRITIC REVIEWS

83
Pretty Much Amazing

Ultimately Soft Will is Smith Westerns’ contemplative love letter to their past, laden as much with affection as it is with melancholy.

80
AllMusic

With Soft Will, they should gain back some people who like thoughtful, melodically rich indie rock that isn't sleepy or clichéd or boring. This album is none of those things and, thanks to their actual growth as artists, it may be their best yet.

80
NME

It wholeheartedly succeeds, and it’s pure nostalgia.

80
DIY

‘Soft Will’ marks Smith Westerns moving into another realm of quality and experimentation, and, to put it quite simply, this album is just a complete pleasure to listen to.

80
The Fly

One chorus may be enough, but ‘Soft Will’ is studded with so much more.

80
Beats Per Minute

Soft Will is certainly not as immediately infectious as Smith Westerns’ previous outings, but that does not make it a weaker album. There are still many injections of fun in the wordless gang vocals and theatrical guitar solos.

80
Under the Radar

On Soft Will, the travails of being young pass through a lens that refracts them into something equal parts analytical and wistful.

80
The 405

They're full of uncluttered and focused optimism, and that shows in their freshly exfoliated music - there are pop hooks galore, twinkling astral riffs and effervescent beats. 

79
Pitchfork

Smith Westerns aren’t interested in changing up their formula, they’ve merely found a way to utilize it more thoughtfully.

70
Drowned in Sound

As a closing chapter to the early days of Smith Westerns' careers, Soft Will is an excellent record - there is just a lingering feeling that their unique sense of fun and abandon, is all but over

70
The Line of Best Fit

For all its faults, the heart and maturity at the centre of Soft Will feels more vital and important than their showy genre tourism ever did.

70
No Ripcord

Soft Will won’t enter the annals as album of the decade, but it showcases the tools and talent to make it happen one day. 

70
musicOMH

It’s unlikely that the demise of the younger, brattier version of Smith Westerns will be mourned by anyone who comes into contact with this lovely record.

64
Paste

Even if this sudden maturity results in deeper sounds, it doesn’t always result in deeper songs.

60
Consequence of Sound

They don’t sound like teenagers anymore on Soft Will. They sound like they’ve been in the world long enough to get broken by it.

60
PopMatters

Soft Will, like previous Smith Western albums, still brims with hooks but it never quite resolves if it’s still just good-time summer pop, dark-night-of-the-soul rumination or some sort of Summerteeth-esque middle ground.

50
A.V. Club

The tempered songs of Soft Will, however, don’t feel thoughtfully restrained as much as deflated of enthusiasm.

40
Tiny Mix Tapes

The album’s stubborn insistence on mourning something that it never really grasped in the first place makes more complex what would otherwise be a boring affair.

LZGray
80

I fucking loved this! Aesthetically borrowing from 60's and 70's psych, 90's dream, and 00's and 10's indie pop to come together for a spacious, endearing, and modern exploration of nostalgia in its purest and most genuine form.

Jlepileo03
84

Entrancing, old-fashioned and really satisfying.

soundsnaive
73

Very good album, not much to dislike. Tunes are catchy and lyrics are consistently good and interesting, just not near as much fun as Dye It Blonde

LZGray
80

I fucking loved this! Aesthetically borrowing from 60's and 70's psych, 90's dream, and 00's and 10's indie pop to come together for a spacious, endearing, and modern exploration of nostalgia in its purest and most genuine form.

Jlepileo03
84

Entrancing, old-fashioned and really satisfying.

soundsnaive
73

Very good album, not much to dislike. Tunes are catchy and lyrics are consistently good and interesting, just not near as much fun as Dye It Blonde

Purchasing Soft Will from Amazon helps support Album of the Year. Or consider a donation?
Become a Donor
Donor badge, no ads + more benefits.
Advertisement

Track List

13am Spiritual
4:23
2Idol
4:14
3Glossed
3:06
4XXIII
4:28
5Fool Proof
4:26
6White Oath
4:03
7Only Natural
3:49
8Best Friend
3:48
9Cheer Up
2:45
10Varsity
4:00
Total Length: 39 minutes
Comments
Sign in to comment
No one has said anything yet.


Added on: March 5, 2013