Hundred dollar Valentine

"Smither's vocals recall that of the Black bluesmen he emulates. The vocals are creaky and stuffed; like he's got cotton in his cheeks and is unable to swallow. Smither uses this to great effect, as if his coarseness makes him more authentic. Smither's weariness can come off as shtick, but he mostly keeps it under control ... There may be nothing here that Smither hasn't done before, except totally relying on himself for musical material. He comes off as an old time blues player in an electronic world of Facebook, iPhones, and no one cares about what albums rule the charts anymore".

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"These acoustic performances are laid back but sizzle with the soul of the blues, especially with Treat Her Right's master harpist Jim Fitting's lonesome wail threading its way throughout the predominantly ballad songs. Smither's deep, mellifluous rustic voice has aged but has never sounded better and longtime associate David Goodrich's sympathetic production makes it seem these tunes were recorded live on his front porch, even when cello and violin underscore the music's deep feeling".

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