Back in the heyday of the MP3, I used to relish every time I found a free song download of merit. As a law-abiding teenager (and with a mom who worked in the music industry), LimeWire was out of the question, so I used to collect the artist-sanctioned free downloads via MTV.com, Stereogum's monthly mixes, and more to help fill up my iPod. I don't remember exactly where I found Girl In a Coma's "Smart," but I do know that it was easily one of my greatest finds.
Girl In a Coma formed in San Antonio and is made up of sisters Nina (vocals/guitar) and Phanie Diaz (drums) along with bassist Jenn Alva. "Smart," released on 2011's Exile & All The Rest, is beautifully lush and driving track that showcases the band at their jangle-pop best. 2011 was pretty much the peak of indie's reverb era, and "Smart" makes great use of the technique; the echoing production allows the song to burst wide open. There is some clear Johnny Marr worship going on with the guitars - expected given the band's name comes from a Smiths song - with interweaving riffs dancing around each other like flower petals in the breeze. The final piece of magic comes from Nina Diaz's voice; breathy and assured, she delivers each line with the delicacy of a whisper without sacrificing any of her volume or power. "Don't you ever start to wonder what it's like to be alone?" she asks in the chorus. Harmonies jump in and out to add yet another layer to an already rich track.
"Smart" is certainly a song of its time, but that does not detract from its playful brilliance. For anyone looking for an unfairly overlooked gem from when indie was at its most optimistic, this is a great landing spot. Girl In a Coma actually reunited recently, and a follow up to Exile & All The Rest is potentially on the horizon. When they tour the American South and West Coast this spring, I'm willing to bet "Smart" is on the setlist.
Follow Girl In a Coma on Instagram here and check out tour dates here.
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