That's the thing about Glasgow. They must be spreading the fertiliser on the streets to produce such a surfeit of musical talent. Bluesbunny's Scottish heritage may be colouring his judgement but you can't argue with your ears. Crawford Smith steps up to the studio microphone for this recording, his 6 track debut EP, and he plays live just like he would should you see him in person. With no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, he is that most uncommon thing, a natural performer.
So we take his debut EP and we place it carefully in the CD player and press play. As "Become One" invades our consciousness with its message of hope, the energy of his performance becomes evident. "Stand Alone" is a favourite from his live set and shows his sentimental side. If you added a substantial amount of strong drink, this song would fit neatly on to a Pogues album. There is a warmth of spirit to his song writing and singing that is missing from so much music these days. Songs should mean something to people when they hear them and we think that "Stand Alone" will touch many a heart. Ending on what we at Bluesbunny Towers consider his finest song, the anguished but uplifting "Back to the Start", it does make you think again of Shane MacGowan in terms of both content and style.
Perhaps we have stumbled across the real appeal of Crawford Smith. He tells it like it is without pretension but with a degree of compassion and indeed sentiment. Although he is described as a folk singer in the accompanying press release, Crawford Smith is far too soulful for that tag. Brave of heart and brave of soul, he is the urban songsmith bringing us a message of hope. He is one to watch. Available from his website or CD Baby.