Angus Stone returns with his second album under the Dope Lemon moniker.
“You can live in a dream, or you can live here right now” from ‘Hey Little Baby’ magically sums up the essence of Smooth Big Cat. Showing Dope Lemon’s most developed and ethereal sound yet, each of the ten tracks on Smooth Big Cat feels like waking up from a night out not knowing if you’re still dreaming or where you are, but liking that you got there.
The seductive sound openly invites influences such as Willie Nelson, Pink Floyd and Tame Impala on this dreamy road trip, where their presence lingers and then builds one on top of another.
‘The Midnight Show’, feels the most like sitting around the campfire and jamming with your friends after a few beers. The lyrics seem off the cusp and improvised, and it’s as though you can hear a laugh throughout the track.
The album seems to flow organically, ending on the rawest and most unedited track, ‘Hey Man, Don’t Look At Me Like That’, which speaks to early Angus & Julia Stone whilst cementing the authenticity of Smooth Big Cat and its journal-like entries. This enchanting album makes you feel like you’re floating after the best road trip of your life.
8.5
