Skindred – Smile Review

I felt awful foolish choosing Skindred’s promo when no one else did. My brain was adequately pummeled by single “Gimme That Boom,” complete with its curb-stomping riffs, plodding drums, and Benji Webbe’s formidable vocals and memorable one-liners, providing a perfect soundtrack for the NFL intro to Thursday Night Football. While grooving, I kinda forgot about the fact that the Welsh quartet was a force to be reckoned with in the late 2000s and early 2010s with albums like Kill the Power and Union Black, the proprietors of songs like “Rat Race” and “Nobody” offering their unique reggae-flavored and electronica-hinted twist on hard rock/metal. While largely stepping out of the limelight for the last ten years or so with uneventful albums 2015’s Volume and 2018’s Big Tings, they’re back with Smile.

Like any good contemporary rock-but-maybe-metal, Welsh quartet Skindred’s success rests almost solely on the shoulders of their vocalist. Naysayers of acts like Disturbed and Shinedown cannot deny the formidability and charisma of David Draimon and Brent Smith, respectively, even if the instrumentals are relatively standard radio hard rock fare. Skindred vocalist Benji Webbe is no different but with a twist – his Jamaican heritage cutting through the riffs. Alongside Webbe’s unique and formidable vocals in warbles, Wyclef Jean-influenced vocal percussion, growls and shouts, and Bob Marley-inspired feel-good croons, Skindred furthermore bolsters their music with touches of jungle electronica, Moog abuse, and, of course, reggae. Smile is ultimately a mixed and tonally awkward bag, bolstered by big riffs and lovable insanity.

Skindred’s best moments are a balance of riffs, tasteful experimentation, and Webbe’s vocals. Opener “Our Religion” is arguably the band’s heaviest song to date, sporting a dark and nearly sludgy riff that sets a unique tone. Memorable grooves uphold the previously mentioned “Gimme That Boom,” as well as injecting a tasteful edge of energy in the intro psych-out of “If I Could,” while riffs climax tracks like the otherwise intriguing reggae of “This Appointed Love” and the fist-pumping nu-metal anthem “Black Stars.” More traditional reggae tracks like “Mama” and the Moog-centered “State of the Union” offer nice upbeat breathers that don’t rob the riff-centric energy. More traditional rock songs “Set Fazers” and closer “Unstoppable” get the head bobbing, while “Addicted” features a more 90’s Third Eye Blind “Semi-Charmed Life” chord progression. “Life That’s Free” is worthy of a standalone mention, as its reggae intro quickly morphs seamlessly into a jungle beat before beating you over the head with one of the best riffs of the album. Throughout the wayward musical choices, Webbe’s vocals remain the biggest highlight to offer, commanding the brig and matching the energy with tasteful intensity or charismatic croons.

Smile is ultimately a mixed bag of tricks and subsequently of quality, with the aforementioned tracks kicking ass “bigly” and experimental tricks landing, but Skindred’s trademark feel-good singalongs are hit or miss. While “State of the Union” and “Mama” work well as more reggae-centric tracks, “L.O.V.E. (Smile Please),” although undoubtedly a warm and summery hit in a live setting, is one of the cheesiest songs ever constructed. Featuring lyrics about being part of the same tribe and chasing away misery with camaraderie, it was a jarring inclusion in comparison to its riffy surrounding tracks “If I Could” and “This Appointed Love,” as well as the darker tracks on the album. If I’m nitpicking details, Skindred’s more traditional rock cuts “Set Fazers” and “Unstoppable,” in spite of solid vocals and riffs, pale in comparison to the more obvious highlights “Gimme That Boom” and “Our Religion,” while “State of the Union” is a relatively shallow cut, its reggae and Moog growing wearisome by its conclusion. On that note, it is also worth mentioning that Smile clocks in at fifty minutes, a protracted runtime for this style of hard rock/metal.

Comparisons to acts like P.O.D., Drowning Pool, and Ill Niño are unavoidable, but Skindred continues to offer a fresh perspective in the post-grunge world even now, twenty-five years into its career. Blending reggae and electronica into its relatively predictable breed of nu-metal, post-grunge, and heavy metal for tedious fifty minutes is bound to have its moments of frailty, but helmed by Webbe’s insanely charismatic vocals, it is undeniably Skindred for the better. Easy to write off for the scene from which it emerges and full of both killer and filler alike, Smile is nonetheless a neat return to form from a band I tragically neglected in their breakout years.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 192 kbps mp3
Label: Earache Records
Websites: Official Website | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: August 4th, 2023