This Is Our Jam: Smith Westerns, “All Die Young”

Smith Westerns play pure rock ‘n roll in the spirit of early ‘70s power pop and The Kinks with guitar licks that could just as easily have been written by Big Star or T-Rex. “All Die Young” begins with the lyrics “I wanna grow old before I grow up / I wanna die with my chin up”, but don't get them wrong—Smith Westerns may not want to make concessions, but they are not champions of burning out early either. For them, dying young isn’t literal; The song is a call to stay starry-eyed and open-hearted. The result reminds you of what it was like to be a teenager but feel like you’d seen it all.