(Indie Rock, Alternative) Steve Smyth - Exits - 2014, MP3, 320 kbps

Australian singer/songwriter Steve Smyth blends a variety of influences into his earthy, soulful sound, from the barroom grit of Tom Waits to the wistful melancholia of Jeff Buckley. The son of two ministers, Smyth grew up traveling the country and was constantly surrounded by music. He took to the guitar early and was playing solo and in bands by his teenage years, taking in a mix of folk (Lead Belly, Dave Van Ronk) and rock (Radiohead, Nirvana) influences. He issued his debut album, Release, in 2011, after which he traveled Europe, acting on his wanderlust, touring, working, and writing songs for his follow-up. After signing with Australian indie Ivy League Records, Smyth traveled to Los Angeles to record his second album with a well-seasoned rhythm section featuring Joey Waronker (Beck, Atoms for Peace) on drums and Gus Seyffert (Norah Jones, the Black Keys) on bass. The album Exits was released in the summer of 2014.