Smofe + Smang: Live in Minneapolis - Mike Doughty

Mike Doughty's second solo release is a live album that takes another step away from the beat poet image crafted by his time in Soul Coughing. Performing over 20 songs with only an acoustic guitar, he continues his transformation into a hipster singer/songwriter à la Ani DiFranco. A good portion of the songs are new, a rare occurrence when it comes to live albums, making this more than just a stripped-down rehash of familiar material. Although some of the new songs aren't even done (he admits this at several points), they have a punk rock simplicity that makes their up-tempo bounce all the more memorable. It is his ear for good pop melodies and his ability to wear his heart shamelessly on his sleeve that makes Smofe + Smang an adorable display of warmth in songwriting. The new songs are quite good, favorably blending with his old material while hinting at his desire to move away from the abstract rapping of his past. Doughty turns phrases like a hip-hop artist on "Sunkeneyed Girl," blending his rhymes seamlessly and quickly with little more than some bouncy guitar driving it along. "Busting Up a Starbux" is a document of turn of the century angst that rails against harmless celebrity enemies and makes no bones about it. "Madeleine and Nine" is a wonderful display of pop songcraft that takes the clever innocence of Elvis Costello's early work and recasts it as a New York subway ballad. And "Grey Ghost" channels vintage Paul Westerberg with its delicate lyrics brilliantly mismatched with percussive punk rock guitar. The old material sounds good, the on-stage banter is hilarious, and his comfort with the audience makes the whole thing seem like a friendly campfire singalong, except the guy with the guitar is one of the most criminally overlooked songwriters in America. He may not have the window into the mainstream that he once did, but the mainstream doesn't know what it's missing. It may be a limited-edition release, but Smofe + Smang is a wonderful live album that captures Doughty's abundant charm and talents perfectly. ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide