Presley Smith Drops Sophomore Album “Creature Comforts” at 19
Interview + Album Review ★ Kenzie Gay ★ @kenzwrites ★ 5 Minutes
It all started with a crazy hypothetical, a Tiktok page, and a 20 lb wheel of parmesan cheese. Well, at least for me.
Hailing from the Knoxville area just a few hours East of Nashville comes singer/songwriter Presley Smith who writes, records, mixes, and masters all of his songs on top of making all cover arts at just 19 years old. After dropping his first single “Mustard” in February 2024 and releasing his debut album “Grandma’s House” a few months later, Smith has been on the rise for both his unconventional sound and social media marketing tactics. I myself first discovered him around the same time that Mustard came out, finding his video series “promoting my music until I can afford a 20 lb wheel of parmigiano reggiano cheese day __” both charming and unique to his brand as a creative.
In honor of his sophomore album, “Creature Comforts”, I decided to analyze the new music and sit down with him to discuss influences, process, and the record at large.
Presley Smith (left) / Creature Comforts album art (right)Creature Comforts is opened up by Evergreen Girl - a tune that’s not only eccentric but also romantic all in one fell swoop. Initially released as a single earlier this year, the song almost serves as a blueprint for every indie-head ever. It’s catchy, fun, and its lyricism is heart warming on its own. It’s the type of music that you would expect to be written by a woman (or someone like Hozier, if you know then you know) due to its balance of romance and respect - not something you can find too easily in contemporary love songs.
Track 4 brings Sunbeams, a song that Smith spoke on in our interview (below). Right out of a fantasy film to the likes of The Last Unicorn or the original adaptation of The Hobbit (two of my personal favorite films, must I add), the song is very relaxing despite its phantasmagorical synths and harmonies. Holding lyrical themes of assurance, Sunbeams is definitely a song that everyone with anxiety (or anxious tendencies at the very least) needs to listen to a few times. Another enlightening addition is the similarity between Sunbeams and John Lennon’s iconic song Beautiful Boy near the bridge. I’d dare to say that it’s even an interpolation of the original song and it is beautifully (no joke intended) done.
Twiggy is another song that Smith touches on (below), mostly for its complexities and the process it took to get what we have today. Another song that is very obviously Beatles-inspired, it revolves around fear of lose despite it's high energy and intense vocals. A notion that’s consistent across the entire album and the rest of Smith’s discography is the undeniable resemblance to two other artists: Finn Wolfhard and Green Day. Naturally, those two artists are very juxtaposed in style but walk with me here. Sonically as a whole, Smith’s music really reflects the “off the beaten path” and whimsical attitude that Wolfhard’s music has both within his solo career and within his childhood band, Calpurnia. As for Green Day, it’s almost uncanny how similar Smith’s vocal style is to frontman Billie Joe Armstrong’s.
Honorable mentions for my top tracks (because it’s just that good): Fading Memories, Pooka, and Wheezy.
Comprehensively, Creature Comforts is truly a quirky, upbeat, and original take on pop music. Unlike most pop in the mainstream, Smith’s music has an undeniable element of soul that can’t be replicated or regurgitated - and that is a treasure that will surely take him far in his career.
A Conversation With Presley Smith
Who are your major musical influences?
One of my biggest influences is my favorite band, Ween, of course. Other inspirations of mine include Todd Rundgren, The B-52's, The Beatles, and really anybody. I tend to find some kind of inspiration in any music I listen to.
How do you typically go about writing and producing your music?
When writing songs, usually, I'll come up with a chord progression on a guitar or piano and hum a melody. I try to add onto whatever initial idea I have to a point where it starts to feel like a journey and not so repetitive.
You’ve proclaimed yourself as an “unconventional pop writer”. How do you think your sound differs from stereotypical, mainstream pop?
To call myself an "unconventional pop writer" is a bit pretentious, I will admit. However I feel like it fits my music. My songs tend to have quite a bit going on musically and build throughout the song, opposed to repeating the same bits throughout the entire song.
What is your favorite track off of Creature Comforts and why?
I feel very proud of every song I have made on this album, so it's hard to pick my favorite. I think right now my favorite is Sunbeams. It's kind of a happy-psychedelic folk piece with cheap synths and cello scattered throughout it. I like the cello section the most.
Was there a specific theme or emotional state that defined the writing of this album?
I wouldn't say this album is defined by anything emotionally. There's hints of self reassurance and moving on, becoming an adult, strange romance and whatnot scattered throughout the album, but I wouldn't say it is in any way thematic, emotionally. The vibe does stay consistent in my opinion.
What was the most challenging song to produce on this album and why?
The most challenging song to finish was probably Twiggy. I've been struggling with jaw pain for a long time, so singing that song was a lot more difficult than it should have been. There's also in general a lot going on there, musically.
Are there any unexpected moments or "happy accidents" that made it onto the final record?
The whole album is kind of a refined happy accident. Every guitar solo or synth part is me noodling around on the instrument then finalizing something from it. I'm not sure if any of that counts as a happy accident though.
Is there a particular song or line that best summarizes the album?
Cats in the Rain as a whole I feel like summarizes the album, tonally. It has a whimsical nature with weird and melodic bits scattered throughout it. That basically describes the entire album to me.
What do you hope listeners feel or take away from this album?
I hope people see my improvement as an artist on this record opposed to my first album when I was 17. Other than that, I hope people can appreciate the whimsical nature my songs seem to cultivate.
The Tiktok fans are dying to know: how close are you to getting that 20lb wheel of parmigiano reggiano cheese?
I'm about 80% of the way to affording the cheese wheel. I did however find out that parmigiano reggiano does NOT come in a 20 lb wheel, I'd have to buy 1/4 of a wheel if I want 20 lbs. I want the whole wheel, and I've told people it's around 500 dollars, so I will have to cover part of it from non-music funds.
What’s next for you?
I don't have much of anything planned for the future, but I do know I will be releasing more music. I will release solo stuff as usual, and I'm currently working on a debut album with my collective, LETTAMEN (Royce Anthony, Not Equal To, Curtisthemilkman, +uno, and myself). The album is called Patches, and it is a huge collaborative effort between us. I believe we'll have something special to offer to music once we get it going.
