Crossword Smiles - Counting By Fives
With a new album announced and on its way before the end of the month, Detroit indie rockers CROSSWORD SMILES bring you a second single to preview the record. “Counting By Fives”, the followup to the recent indie hit “Falling All Over Myself”, bows on all streaming services worldwide on May 16, one week before the release of the band's second full-length album CONSEQUENCES & DETOURS. The single is up for pre-order.
Advance word is getting around about the new album from CROSSWORD SMILES, the duo formed by Michigan power pop veterans TOM CURLESS (known for his solo work with his backing band The 46%) and CHIP SAAM (of The Hangabouts) in 2022 to stretch their musical boundaries in a decidedly different direction. The new single “Counting By Fives” is the lead track on the new album, and taken together with the previous preview track – the Guided By Voices-inspired “Falling All Over Myself” – a picture of the depth and detail on display on CONSEQUENCES & DETOURS begins to emerge. Where the first single rocked, this one bounces: the appeal of its hooks are apparent right out of the gate, while the chorus and its sweet harmonies conjure memories of the brightest tones of '80s college rock (think Aztec Camera or Prefab Sprout), complementing the giddy expectant tone of the lyrics. Chip lets us in on the development of the tune:
“This one breezes by. A song about young love and how you can’t wait to see the object of your affection,” he says, revealing that “Counting By Fives” began as an afterthought before becoming a highlight worthy of serving as the opening track on CONSEQUENCES. “It's a classic case of a song written after you think you’re done with a record, and coming up with something that turns out to be one of the best tracks recorded. It started as a seed back in 2021, around the time Tom and I were developing Crossword Smiles. I tried to put my best Grant McLennan (The Go-Betweens) foot forward. I got a chorus and a verse and then abandoned the idea. Tom resurrected it near the end of the sessions for the new album, crushed another verse, and added a killer bridge. I came up with a spiffy jangle pop intro and Lenny Grassa, our buddy from The Needmores (and formerly Popular Creeps), laid down a perfect pop guitar solo.”
Curless tells his side of the tale, offering insight into the scrupulously collaborative writing process at the core of the duo's work. “This started as a sparse acoustic demo from Chip that got my attention. It was really short, but when I went back a second time, I thought 'hold on….there is something here'. I heard some harmonies in my head for the vocal hook. We hammered out a structure based around three chords going in a circle, and it came together pretty quickly in the writing department, which is usually a great sign. I worked up a 'fancy demo' and sent it over to Chip, which he really liked. From there it was me trying my best to get a Rickenbacker sound without owning a Rickenbacker, ha ha!”
And with that, the first two tracks on CONSEQUENCES & DETOURS have hit the airwaves, albeit in reverse order. Together they're an auspicious opening for an album that goes on to present textures both delicate and angular, lush and sparse, and always utterly involving. The new album from CROSSWORD SMILES is out May 23 on Vinyl, CD and Streaming from Big Stir Records, and up for pre-order and pre-save now.
