"Meet Me on the Far Side of a Star" is out now!
Here's what the critics are saying...
Rolling Stone featured Christine Smith’s “Happily Never After” feat. Tommy Stinson as one of their ‘Top Best Country, Americana Songs To Hear Now’
“Christine Smith bends the traditions of the Great American Songbook to suit her own blend of off-kilter cabaret and tragic pop.” - Robert Crawford, Rolling Stone
“Centerpiece highlight "Happily Never After" wrangles Tommy Stinson on guitar, his warped slide matching the songstress' wry sense of humor and immaculate fluctuating vocals." – Doug Freeman, Austin Chronicle
“The latest release from Austin-based goth cabaret songstress Christine Smith, finds Smith mining traditional piano balladry for a set of beautifully mysterious and dark songcraft.” - H.R. Gertner, Americana Highways
"...a mostly one-woman band constructing elegant and spry piano-driven sounds that can easily cozy up to Stephen Sondheim as well as Tom Waits." – Michael Allshouse, The Swerve Magazine
"Christine Smith bustles with experience and the instantly familiar, a selection of songs that breathes in the stardust that is the origin of life, and turns the rays to music, the choruses of myth, of love and power; a sense of surrounding that can only come from the heart of someone who absorbs the world and who wishes to see others, the listeners, be bathed in the warmth of a different plane."
– Ian D. Hall, Liverpool Sound and Vision (Four ****)
“You can be as indie, pomo or modern as you want to be…but a mutual love of tunes almost 100 years old with a conspirator will find you right in the cabaret groove--even if it's a cabaret on Mars. An indie mainstay, Smith connects with herself here and serves it up from the soul. A delightfully intimate set that connects with the listener in a big way.” – Chris Spector, Midwest Record
"Christine Smith is a songstress capable of bringing both a hint of gothic-inspired sounds and inspired lyrics. Her new 9-track release Meet Me on the Far Side of a Star is no different, catapulting its listener into a slightly whimsical existence. And perhaps that's the magic about Meet Me on the Far Side of a Star, as it feels as though all of these songs could be written into a stage performance. - Meredith Schneider, Imperfect Fifth
“There are strong elements of the Great American Songbook in this album, but Smith proudly wears her other influences on her sleeve – echoes of Petula Clark here, some Patti Smith there, some Simon LeBon flair, sprinkled with a bit of Angelo Badalamenti and 1950s doo-wop. She is a shining result of her eclectic tastes and influences.
“Meet Me On The Far Side Of A Star” is an artistic triumph.” – Alice Teeple, Downtown Magazine NYC
"The vibe here is mid-20th-century cabaret, with Smith drawing on her early years playing jazz standards in London before she moved back to the U.S. and issued her 2006 debut solo album 'Tomorrow Blues.'" - Peter Blackstock, Austin 360