Shawn Smith
Shield of Thorns (2004)

Review by: Craig Curtice
Date: 5/1/04

Shawn Smith is a humble man in possession of an impossibly poignant voice and a special songwriting gift. Over the past decade he’s quietly flourished in a post-grunge Seattle as a singer, guitarist, and pianist for three bands – Satchel, Pigeonhed, and the confusing supergroup Brad (guitarist Stone Gossard, bassist Jeremy Toback, and drummer Regan Hagar). An anonymous figure lost in the shuffle of false idols, Smith hasn’t helped himself by routinely changing bands or releasing solo albums on defunct labels.

Shield of Thorns is Smith’s third solo offering that unveils some wonderful recording sessions with the multi-talented Harold “Happy” Chichester, guitarist Thaddeus Turner, and drummer Michael Shrieve. The results are a kind of contemporary AM gold – sticky-soft rock songs crafted with soul, passion, and astonishing benevolence.

Hauntingly beautiful yet sad as a velvet clown painting, “If Roses Take My Place” is an emotional piano stunner, and it’s only a matter of time before the delightful ballad “Wrapped in My Memory” gets into the hands of tweener girls singing into hairbrushes at sleepovers. “Golden Age” kicks up some roadhouse dust, “Leaving California” is sing-along fare for road trips and summer campfires, and title track “Shield of Thorns” is a vibrant little rock groover. The cathartic closer “Sing That Song For Beauty” radiates an inspirational glow that fully achieves the mythic Prince “Purple Rain” moment.

Five months into 2004 this thirty-minute masterpiece receives my early nod for album of the year consideration, but don’t bother looking for it at Try-n-Save or your friendly neighborhood record store. Along with Smith’s stellar, but long deleted back catalog, Shield of Thorns is only available exclusively through the Establishment Store website. Let’s hope that this store stays open for a very, very long time.