No sane individual wants to be seen as smug, but goodness gracious it feels good when you can righteously don that gay apparel when you’re finally proven correct. Whether it’s a matter of taste, of memory, of intellect, or even a good guess, hearing those magical words, “you were right,” hits that sweet dopamine release in ways few other things can. Sometimes that can work in your favor, when you play it off ironically or just seem genuinely kind, if a little too self-satisfied. Nothing about Drew Thomson comes across as superior, and if anything (let my Canadian heritage come into play here), there’s a wholesome earnestness that comes across clearly. This is a musical lifer from one of the best cities in the world (fight me) who like The Righteous Brothers once foretold, lost that lovin’ feelin’ when it came to making music. After fronting a slew of bands across his career, SMUG LLC is Thomson’s chance to rekindle the love of music, and holy shit is this a glorious love affair. Bursting with the brashness of lo-fi post-punk/new wave, the gleeful fun of MF DOOM, and a playfully sardonic streak, New Exciting Doom is a must-have for those who want more bops in their life.
“When I started what would become Smug LLC, I was coming off of a musical and artistic burnout. I was ready to give up. I took a break from everything creative for a while and thought I was done trying to express myself in this form. One day I just picked up my bass and plugged it in and wrote ‘Little Gusts’ without thinking of much, just looking out the window humming to myself. Within about 20 minutes the song was done and recorded, and that’s the version that’s on the record. What was once gone had returned, a spark had been sparked!”
“The style has formed a bit over time,” he adds. “Since I was in high school, I’ve loved the first two Streets albums. I’m a big MF doom fan. I went through a big Atari Teenage Riot phase. I’ve always liked New Wave and more minimalist post-punk. All these influences never really fit in with my other projects, although I did try and force it sometimes. Smug LLC isn’t me trying to be any of these things, or my version of these artists, but it’s a conglomeration of all of it.”
New Exciting Doom is out now, and you can order it from Anxious and Angry. Follow SMUG LLC on Instagram for future updates.
Photo Credit: Sara Froese
