Matt Smith - ...this is not ok... (2026)

A gentler approach is “Orphans” with the soft fabric voice underwhelming, but it gets the point across with a minimum of bitterness & challenge. It’s a cautious LP with good performances. There’s nothing as ambitious as Steppenwolf’s “Monster” (1969) or as heavy as Barry McGuire’s “Eve of Destruction,” but a song like “Level Ground” has its nourishing showcase made presentable. “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” is more upbeat & relatable with bright mandolin & banjo.

The best vocal is the easy-listening piece “A Life In Love.” Smith isn’t Frank Sinatra or Paul Anka, but he navigates the tune fairly well. It has its cheesiness. Songs such as this require a Sinatra or Scott Walker vocal character to give it the timbre & lift. I can’t slight Mike Smith (vocals/electric-acoustic & lap steel guitars/mandolin/bass/banjo/synth/string arrangements) because he does his best. He’s sincere.

Better suited is the Guy Forsythe lead vocals of “Outside My Fence,” a good soulful rocker. Guitar-wise, it stabs with a Joe Walsh-type riff, & some weighty soulful backup vocals if not overly dramatic. Some songs shift into political messages that add too much salt to the soup.