Artist Watch: April Smith and The Great Picture Show

I was turned on to April Smith and TGPS when their song Terrible Things was featured in the season promo for Showtime’s Weeds. I don’t particularly like Weeds but I was amazed at how well the song fit with the commercial. It is rare that one finds such a perfect fit between show and music but I digress. April Smith has one of the most unique and interesting voices and styles I’ve heard in a long time. I can compare her unique-ness to that of Florence Welch of Florence and The Machine(Dog Days Are Over) in the sense that their voices come along once in a decade. Both Florence and The Machine and April Smith and The Great Picture Show also use some non-conventional instruments and styles within their songs. April Smith blends Jazz, Blues, and classic Americana/Folk on her new album Songs For a Sinking Ship. April is a little like a modern day lounge singer. Her voice transports you to an earlier time, but all of her songs still sound modern. Favorite songs off the album are Wow and Flutter which is similar to Terrible Things in its bluesy jazz vibe and Cant Say No which has an almost Saloon-like feel elevated by the use of trumpet. You can listen to the whole album here. April Smith and The Great Picture Show is for fans of Florence and the Machine, Etta James, and Karen Oh.