Meaghan Smith
Rockwood Music Hall
Dec. 3, 2009
By David Chiu
Newcomer Meaghan Smith may not be familiar to most American music listeners…for now. However, there is a good chance you may have heard of her if you picked up the soundtrack to the film (500) Days of Summer: she did a cover version of the Pixies’ classic “Here Comes Your Man.” It’s a taste of what’s to come from this Canadian singer/songwriter as she prepares to release her full-length debut album, The Cricket’s Orchestra, on Warner Bros. next year.
So far it looks pretty promising for Smith judging by her recent performance at Rockwood Music Hall on the Lower East Side this past Wednesday. Accompanied by a guitar player and a stand-up bass player, Smith performed songs that can be best described as autobiographical and romantic lyrically, verging between exuberance and introspection. The material draws on different influences including country, folk and ‘20s pop. Certainly songs “If You Asked Me” and “You Got Out” have this very jazzy swing feel; “Poor” is a tender and romantic love ballad with a country-folk feel.
As far as a singer, Smith has a really lovely voice that can also be torchy, especially on the last song of the set, which was a dreamy and atmospheric ballad. Although she is relatively new, Smith had a fetching personality of a seasoned pro, and that showed in her confident performance even in the small confines of Rockwood.
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