The ‘80s British rock outfit the Smiths didn’t really earn a lot of traction in America back in their day, falling prey to the usual knock against UK bands: they sounded too British. It’s a bit of a shame. However, if you wanted to like the Smiths (and by extension Morrissey) but couldn’t penetrate them because they wrote and sang about things in their homeland, Little Cinema, a long-distance group from Austin and Brooklyn, might just be the tonic for you. Their debut album, Adventure, sure sounds a lot like the Smiths crossed paths with Belle and Sebastian, and, heck, there’s a reference to “alabaster” (cues from the Smiths) and a song tilted, groan, “Birdwatchers of the World, Unite!”. And the singing on this album sounds an awful lot like Morrissey. However, for a copycat act, Little Cinema aren’t bad. Not outstandingly great, but not bad, either.
In fact, Adventure is a perfect album for gray fall days, as there’s a wispy, woolen feel to these songs. Also, it kind of grows on you. There are some jazz touches that elevate the material from being just another Smiths clone, such as the use of a saxophone on “When You Think of Me”. There are also female vocals on “Diving Board”, which, if I recall correctly, you never heard done on a Smiths song — and, if there was, it was not on their best known songs. So Adventure isn’t a total throwback, adding flashes here and there of originality. Basically, if you miss the Smiths and aren’t totally enamored with Morrissey’s recent solo work, you might want to check out Little Cinema. There’s enough here to provide a giddy soundtrack to leaves turning red and orange and falling. While Little Cinema, at least on this release, do nothing to make themselves a future candidate for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, as the Smiths currently are, there’s a certain likability to these 10 songs. Check ‘em out if you like British indie rock without all of those impenetrable references to the UK.