 "Photo: Sarah Vasquez")
Smile Smile’s newest album Truth on Tape reveals an open letter from the heartbroken vocalist/guitarist Ryan Hamilton to the woman who caused these scars. His lyrics portray the hurt and longing of his former lover. They are accompanied by a simple acoustic piano backing or a head bopping ditty complete with a full band.
The woman who is Hamilton’s muse of these public proclamations is Smile Smile’s keyboardist herself, Jencey Hirunrusm. Hirunrusm even provides backing vocals to the angsty lyrics written about her.
Smile Smile was formed when Hirunrusm and Hamilton were living together in Dallas. These two were engaged to be married, but after an infidelity broke the couple apart, the duet still stayed together musically, documenting the process of getting over the emotional situation through song.
Each song in Truth on Tape share all the mix of emotions one goes through when handling with a gut-wenching split whether it’s the straightforward declaration of anguish in the last track “Labor of Love” or cleaning out the memories like in the song “The Attic.”
Hamilton even bluntly addresses Hirunrusm with lyrics such as “Yes I write about love. It’s only cause I love you so much” (Beg You to Stay). “Cancer” provides an adorable country folk jingle about loving someone to the fullest as if they have, you guessed it, cancer.
Even though Hamilton and Hirunrusm have moved past the aftermath, the bitterness and cattiness is sometimes revealed during their live shows as the two jab at each other in a friendly and not-so-friendly matter.
Smile Smile’s Truth on Tapes is the second testament of these two people chronicling the experience of a shattering breakup and overcoming their personal feelings to pursue their musical dreams.
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