What the critics have said...
'Engagingly quirky, low-fi songs accompanied by minimalist drums. It's all too Canterbury for words, my darlings, but is a curious little treasure that beats most sententious singer-songwriter albums into that ol' cocked hat.'
Folk Roots

'Eccentrically brilliant'
Oxford Times

'I am reminded of Jilted John or John Otway but with more talent'
Folk on Tap

'Not hip, just different - he's not exactly cutting edge and, according to the liner notes on his debut CD, he is 'Canterbury's least hip and most happening act'. Pianist Luke Smith's mainly unaccompanied homemade debut album sounds like some rediscovered recording from the Sixties, dusted down for release, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
His music is saturated in English whimsy and, although there are strong blues and pop elements, you can also detect a music hall feel which lends the songs a unique charm. The melodies are strong and catchy, and the lyrics are observant, painfully honest and, as a result, quite funny. For example, 'It might not be attractive, but my mind is overactive' from I'm Intense, or 'I like being cosy, cups of tea and staying in; clubs and parties don't do much for me, is that a sin?' from I Like Being Cosy.
'He fits into a resolute and well worn English tradition of musicians who refuse to screw up their faces and try to sound American,' said Tim Healey, Luke's record label boss.
You can hear elements of John Otway, Ian Dury and Suggs from Madness in Luke's music.
Luke himself remains enigmatic when it comes to his influences and who he thinks he sounds like. 'I don't really like talking about it, I prefer people to make up their own minds,' he said. 'When people hear someone singing in a natural English voice they quite often mention music hall, but I just like to sing in my natural voice. It is not a conscious thing'.
You can hear and see Luke playing live at the Hobgoblin, 40 St Peter's Street, Canterbury, every Monday from 9pm.'
Neil Lampert, Kentish Gazette
 
'Luke Smith is a Canterbury local whose lo-fi sound mixes well with his Kentish accent. Too oddball to be really popular, everyone should hear him. The lyrics have an enormous sense of fun...titles include 'She's a Do-er' and 'I Like Being Cosy'! The music may be quite simple, with Luke playing keyboard/ electric guitar/ bass/ wurlitzer, always accompanied by Dave the drummer, but it's catchy and fun. Go listen, now.'
Steve Pearce, KRED

'Likeable, and unnervingly catchy. Luke has an idiosyncratic gawkiness that's rather appealing in a Robyn Hitchcock/Jonathan Richman sort of way. His own Big Issues are but small-time preoccupations, strained through a twisted version of jaunty English musichall, but no less deeply felt for all that... There's a naively perceptive quality about Luke's writing. I'm Intense, replete with not-so-mighty (Woolworths!) Wurlitzer, could almost have come from the pen of Neil Innes.'
David Kidman, Traditional Music Maker

'Luke Smith, a piano-playing songwriter who, at a push to describe him, mixes Nick Drake and Ian Dury, while his dad, the sole other member of the band, plays the drums! I saw them at a festival in Oxford recently and they were amazing.'
JONT @ The 12 Bar Club, London

IT'S NOT WRONG, IT'S JUST DIFFERENT 

  1. It's Not Wrong, It's Just Different 2.23
  2. Please Be My Girlfriend 2.09
  3. I Like Being Cosy 2.34
  4. Playing By The Rules 2.54
  5. Biding My Time 2.46
  6. I'm Intense 2.18
  7. She's a Do-er 2.54
  8. Same Old 2.45
  9. Say Too Much 2.14
10. Simple Pleasures 4.39

Total running time 
A WHOPPING GREAT 28.01 MINS!

 

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