It's around these melancholy times of Lou Reed's recent passing that we pay special attention to new music coming out that evokes him. In the case of this track off Melbourne-based Smile's debut album, Life Choices, that came out this summer, there are both paralells and contradictions to consider. The song's title, “Still Waiting For My Man,” unsubtly borrows from Reed's dark 1967 iteration, and both songs are about meeting up with a drug dealer. Smile, however, are a decidedly not-dark band, and the exchange they are describing here feels safe. Their fuzzy, layered guitars revel in sleepy college rock nostalgia, at a pace that's simultaneously droning and buoyant. It's the sound of your nerves slackening. We recommend letting it happen.
You can stream “Still Waiting For My Man” below or buy the whole album.
