Burma Shave have come a long way since their formation in 1984. The fact that Smile City is only their third album in almost twenty years makes Burma Shave a more than interesting band. In 1995 the band gained some international fame with their second studio album Zeal and of course with their excellent live performances. The music on “Smile City” is a fine combination of blues, rap, funk and soul. It’s closer to the title-less debut album than to the metal influenced Zeal. An obvious reference is Tom Waits, but also the Dutch band Beef, without the reggae influences that is.

The songs on the album are varied, easy to listen to and rhythmically exciting. I’m not the biggest fan of samples, but the samples used here give the songs a nice experimental and progressive character. Personal highlights are the great orchestral title track and the track “Mr. Karaoke”. Since the rock influences on the new album are sometimes hard to find, some doubt arose whether or not this review should be reviewed on www.rockezine.com. After listening to the entire record the quality of “Smile City” was the decisive factor. A fine CD that is definitely worth a try.