Smerz - Big City Life (LP)

Smerz expand the universe, leaving no one behind.
Feelings. Nourished sounds of drums.
Strings. One-finger piano riffs.
Synth preset: crushed dance floor.
Their voices and stories.
All perform a sonic rite of passage.
Anthems to yourself.

Pitchfork:
“retrofuturist warehouse pop”
“The result is an exercise in controlled chaos, full of moments of plainspoken wonder”
“it’s so effective that you have to wonder what kind of witchcraft they’re working with”

“it takes little time for Smerz’s new album to wrap its arms around you.” - Our Culture

Paste Magazine:
“Smerz create a genre-bending dreamscape of introspective reflections (“A thousand lies”) mixed with sauntering, future-focused bops (“Feisty”)”
“Each song on Big city life brings something unexpected to the table, leaving you with something to ponder long after it’s over.”

“a sort of genius missing link between Astrid Sonne, Cibo Matto and Luscious Jackson.” -Boomkat

“Big City Life, is the sound of moving through chaos with a cool reserve” - Hearing Things

“On Big city life, Smerz finds a cohesive sound that elevates their place in the Norwegian experimental scene. By leaning into guitars, hook-driven R&B and low-slung electro, they've strengthened their storytelling chops while keeping their loveable knack for weirdness.” - Resident Advisor

The FACE:
“On their second album Big City Life, Smerz have hit their stride”
“Smerz’s music is smart and strange enough to stand out”

CLASH Magazine
“On their second album, the Norwegian duo's metropolis is a place of exhilaration and apathy, thriving on contradiction, camp spectacle and coarse truths.”

“With an exacting gaze and arched eyebrow, ‘Big city life’ maps out the rhythms and rituals of the inner-city woman. It’s a fizzing postmodern fairytale that takes us by the hand through dim clubs, empty train carriages, wide streets and bedrooms full of longing.”

“‘Big city life’ captures the chaos and wonder of city living with precision and dynamism.”

“Flitting between the glamorous and raw, the album thrives on contradiction, delighting in camp spectacle and coarse truths. Dancing amidst this ambiguity, Smerz’s allure, vulnerability, and dry humour makes this darkly dazzling record a potent reflection of cosmopolitan womanhood.”