This crossword is no puzzle

 By Henry Lipput

Ringing guitars, short sharp bass lines, wonderful close harmonies, and tunes a-plenty, that’s what you get on Pressed & Ironed, the debut album from Crossword Smiles (Big Stir Records).

The band is a brand-new collaboration between Detroit, Michigan, pop stalwarts Tom Curless (guitar, drums, and vocals) of Your Gracious Host and solo efforts and Chip Saam (bass and vocals) of The Hangabouts as well Curless’s backing band The 46% (and Neighborhood Weekly Radio’s Indie Pop Takeout).  Inspired by the sound of 80’s and 90’s college radio, Curless and Saam dip into their musical grab bags to create songs that both reflect and build on what they’ve grown up listening to.

“Feet on the Ground” is the blast that begins the album. It’s the sound of Big Star if Chris Bell was still in the band for the Radio City sessions (Pressed & Iron’s “Take It on the Chin” is the corresponding Alex Chilton track). Another nod to their influences is highlighted in “This Little Town.” With its Amanda Brown-sounding violin and Robert Forster-like rhythmic guitar jabs, it’s like the late, great Go-Betweens take on Simon & Garfunkel’s “My Little Town.” And what can I say about the sad and beautiful “October Leaves?” It’s a song about broken hearts that might break yours as well.

The album’s first single, “Parallel Lines,” is infused with that college radio vibe and the video would have been a staple on MTV’s 120 Minutes. The second single, “The Girl with a Penchant for Yellow,” is kicked off with an A Hard Day’s Night guitar crash and a dreamy musical phrase. It’s about a woman who wants to be noticed and packs her suitcase as if she’s leaving home; but she’s in a world of her own as she has her “ears on tight.” There’s also a man on the move with “his briefcase packed and ready to pick a fight” with the girl.

Although there’s no resolution, what is clear is the song brings along Saam’s bandmates from The Hangabouts, Greg Addington and John Lowry. Even cooler is, following the release of Pressed & Ironed, it was announced that Curless would be joining The Hangabouts and the band was working on new material for a forthcoming album. Curless and Saam will be joined by Addington and Lowry at a Record Release Party for Pressed & Ironed on January 6^th at Trinity House (opening the show is Pure Pop fav Chris Richards of The Legal Matters and Chris Richards and the Subtractions)! You can get tickets here.

“Second Guesser” is a delight with some fine backing vocals (something you might have heard on a Beatles record; are they referencing “Girl” in the middle eight?) and excellent lead guitar work. Like “The Girl with a Penchant for Yellow,” but more fleshed out, it’s a story song. It’s left up to the listener as to whether these two become Terry and Julie or they never meet up because they think too much about it.