Full Review

Noah Smith, Shoulda Seen Me Yesterday Review

Noah Smith is an American songwriter and country artist that combines his native roots and roadworthy storytelling while walking the line between Country and Rock n Roll. Smith grew up in Brown County, Ohio, and at an early age, Smith knew music would be his life’s path. As a songwriter and a performer, Smith is influenced by a full array of artists: Paul Simon, Johnny Cash, Alan Jackson, to bands like Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, and Death Cab for Cutie. Smith has shared the stage with some of the industry’s most talented artists such as Josh Turner, Cassadee Pope, Steve Miller Band, David Alan Coe, Aaron Tippin, Reckless Kelly, Crystal Bowersox, Levi Lowery, and Andrew Combs. Smith is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music with a degree in Electronic Media, Music Production, and Audio & Video Design. Lately, Noah finds himself writing out of Nashville, TN. His music is a capsule of childhood faith, ambition, a little bit of love, God’s good word, and the uphill climb to living an American boy’s dream. Smith is now releasing his single “Shoulda Seen Me Yesterday.”

Positives: Solid country sounds with a meaningful lyric that is well-sung.

Bottom Line:: “Shoulda Seen Me Yesterday” is solid songwriting coupled with a pleasing country voice. Smith notes it was written with divorce in mind, but every time he plays it on a stage, people relate to it differently. “I learned a while back that I can’t tell people what songs are about because what it meant to me in the beginning may not be what it means to someone else in the crowd,” Smith said. “After I played this song in a show, people would come up to me and tell me how they relate it to something totally different, and after a while, the songs will even fill that for me too.” With the perfect blend of Country and Rock n Roll, the song methodically unfolds, pulling us into the storyline. Though the song is a modern country song, you can hear the deep tradition of the genre in Smith’s vocal style and sound. A taste full guitar solo takes us to the emotional bridge. Smith notes the bridge of the song is one he loves to sing. “Every day that goes by, I’m gettin’ by a little better than the last,” hits hard for so many of his listeners, and Smith is proud he can reach the audience with a line like that. “There isn’t a better feeling in the world than having someone come up to you after a show and tell you that a line from a song you wrote meant something to them,” he said. “That’s why I do this job.” A good country song has to pull on the heartstrings, even just a little, and “Shoulda Seen Me Yesterday” does just that. That’s the short of it!