Parker Smith – Air Stream (2024)
Atlanta, Georgia singer-songwriter Parker Smith has released his most recent single ‘Air Stream’ in anticipation of his upcoming third studio album Short Street. Much of his music is inspired by streets and places in Atlanta, such as the title of the new album, but ‘Air Stream’ takes the listener on a chilly camping trip that begins with star gazing and is ironically set to a laid-back tropically inflected tune.
Smith’s calypso rhythm on the acoustic guitar sets the pace and the tone around which the other instruments fill in. John Kingsley on the pedal steel guitar provides sly commentary on Smith’s lack of preparedness for the cold night and his connection to yet distance from the couple next to him arguing in an Air Stream trailer. After the second verse, the song opens up gently as Kingsley solos on the pedal steel before taking flight on the fiddle. Meanwhile, Christopher Case on the organ creates an open space for the stars to settle into.
Mostly the song exists in a simple arrangement around Smith who, in Jimmy Buffet fashion, sets himself up as a fall guy for the listener to commiserate with. Whether it’s listening to the couple fight, being barked at by their dog, or delivering a wry turn of phrase like ‘growing cold together,’ Parker adeptly spins the yarn to its close with the couple embracing in the warmth of the trailer, both them and the dog finally at peace.
By the time you hear the last wordless chorus, you have to wonder if the singer is more than just a passive observer. Perhaps he is one half of the couple who stormed out during the argument and now feels foolish in the cold and imagines a warm reconciliation. That’s part of the appeal of ‘Air Stream.’ Much like the works of the great singer-songwriters who have influenced Smith, his songs leave room for the listener’s imagination and space to participate in what he has written.
Find out more about Parker Smith on his official website, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Spotify.
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