Swedish Grammy Award-Winning folk/pop duo, Smith & Thell, has just dropped their most recent EP, "A Chosen Family". Known for their compelling songwriting, this project consists of concepts and stories inspired by others.
TRACKLIST
Waste of Time
At Least I Tried (feat. Wrabel)
Little Altar Boy
UFO
I Let The Good Ones Go
Maria Smith and Victor Thell met each other in their teenage years at a music even in their hometown of Helsingborg, Sweden, and the rest is history. Both had grown up musically inclined. They became best friends and shared their mutual love of music, which lead them to begin writing and recording songs together. They released their debut album, "Soulprints", in 2017. In 2021, they gained international momentum with their breakthrough collaboration song titled "Forgive Me Friend" with Rock duo from Memphis, Tennessee, Swedish Jam Factory. At this point in their career, Smith & Thell has totaled billions of global streams across platforms, has over 1 million monthly Spotify listeners, and they have multiple singles that have gone number one on the Swedish charts. They've written songs for big names like Jennifer Lopez, Alan Walker, and Ava Max's RIAA gold-certified single, "So Am I" which won "Composer of the Year" at the 2020 Swedish Grammy Awards. Maria and Victor attended a songwriting camp together in 2023 in Southern California, which led them to writing the songs we will hear today on "A Chosen Family". Just in those 10 days, through the people they met and the stories they heard, they became inspired to write and share what they experienced.
Waste of Time
Starting with the single "Waste of Time", this song touches on the topic of searching for the qualities of a past relationship in other people, but none of them live up to those expectations. You start to realize that you're never going to love anybody the way you loved that person, and that trying to move on is just a waste of time. It's a "the one that got away" type of situation, where you should want to forget them, but you can't - and all you can do is hold on to some sort of hope that you can reconnect one day. "Waste of Time" starts off sounding like a classic, stomping folk song with an addicting rhythm and beat, an ear-worm acoustic guitar and stunning vocals. As the song progresses, it builds into this harmonious instrumentation with different varieties of strings along with piano, heavy drums and chanting vocals. It teleports you back in time to the old western days, and makes you feel like you're sitting in an old bar surrounded by lovelorn cowboys with beers in their hands.
At Least I Tried (feat. Wrabel)
"At Least I Tried" is about that realization when the person you've been giving your all to, just isn't it. It's a super catchy, upbeat folk-pop bop with a mood like "yeah, I'm sad and this super sucks but hey, at least I tried and now I'm just gonna dance it off". Even though it's a crappy situation, this song has such a positive, uplifting soundscape to help pick you back up on your feet. "At Least I Tried" features the incredible songwriter and artist, Wrabel who took his style and perfectly intertwined it into Smith & Thell's. The way that they took their unique sounds and blended them together, and created this song so effortlessly, makes me believe this is a collaboration that was written in the stars. Everything about this song is done perfectly, and is now stuck in my head for good.
Little Altar Boy
"Little Altar Boy" was a song written the night before Maria and Victor went off to their songwriting camp. The idea of "Little Altar Boy" is that just because you have an incredible talent, doesn't mean that it's your destiny or that you have to take it as far as it can possibly go. Don't let others choose your life for you; if something isn't your dream, then don't go for it. You should always do what makes you happy in life.
It's about passion and finding your true calling in life. It’s also a question of what your heart is really longing for. Just because you have a great voice, do you want to be a big star? Just because you have these perfect photogenic features, do you really want to be a model? At the end of the day, what is your will?” - Maria Smith of Smith & Thell
Maria and Victor perfectly blend together their vocals in a gentle, emotional way to convey their message. This song takes more of a pop/rock approach, but you can still hear their folk roots. It has a very nostalgic tone, and it reminded me a bit of Coldplay but if Of Monsters and Men were singing.
UFO
"UFO" is what Smith & Thell consider to be an anthem for all the misfits out there who feel like they never belong, no matter how hard they try to fit in. This song is for everyone who gets treated like an outsider, and just can't understand what makes them so different from other people. If you feel like you get treated like an alien more than a human being, this song is for you. With an easy to sing along to hook and highly relatable lyrics, "UFO" has a very chant-like groove that would make any crowd join in, but at the same time it has little abstract hints of chromatic moves that give it an extraterrestrial vibe. It also emphasizes piano and electric guitar more than other songs, giving it a bit of a classic rock feel.
I Let The Good Ones Go
Lastly, we have "I Let The Good Ones Go" bringing the EP to a close. This is a dark, but relatable song for many, about feeling like you're good for nothing. The only thing you feel like you do right is push people away, because you're saving them from yourself. "I Let The Good Ones Go" has a very simple, classic groove and melody, but the harmonies between Maria and Victor are what really captivate you. They have a country influence and are layered in a very heavenly, emotional way. It's the type of harmony that you can imagine someone sitting on their back porch in the middle of nowhere, singing their soul out with their closest friends and a banjo. It gives you such a deep, cathartic feeling. Not to mention the lyrics, which really bring a punch to the gut - especially if you can relate to them.
The musical chemistry in Smith & Thell is undeniable. You can hear it through every component of their music; from the way they sing together, to the way their lyrics flow. There's something really special about being an artist and finding another artist that connects with you like that - especially when they're already your best friend! I love how every song on "A Chosen Family" not only tells it's own story, but they all sound like a different world as well. Smith & Thell manages to keep their signature sound steady, while also making fresh new soundscapes for every individual project they release. They continue to evolve and grow, becoming stronger and stronger with each song they write. It's no wonder why they're such a beloved artist across the world - but yet, in my opinion, still deserve even more love and attention than they already get. If you enjoyed this EP, make sure to dive deeper into their impressive discography and follow them!
Written By Kaitlyn Nicole
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