Twenty Years In, Smug Brothers Prove Gravity Was Always on Their Side

Twenty years is a long time to hold the line for guitar-centric rock and roll, and Columbus, Ohio’s Smug Brothers have done exactly that. Twelve albums, seven EPs, nine singles, and a track record that runs from the British Invasion through power-pop, post-punk, and ’90s indie without breaking a sweat. Now, with the Gravity Is Just a Way to Fall retrospective due May 15, they’re looking back — and the view is pretty great.

“Meet a Changing World” is the second preview from the collection, originally from the band’s 2015 album Woodpecker Paradise. The video, directed by John Keefer, is back in circulation alongside a newly remastered version of the track out on streaming tomorrow, courtesy of Carl Saff — and it sounds sharper than ever. Kyle Melton’s songwriting holds up the way the good stuff always does, and Don Thrasher (ex-Swearing at Motorists, Guided by Voices) keeps time behind the kit like the task requires his full attention.

The vinyl version of Gravity Is Just a Way to Fall drops May 15 via Best Brother Records and Anyway Records. The CD version of “Gravity” features a different, extended track listing: nearly 80 minutes and follows on the band’s own Gas Daddy Go! imprint. If you’re a Columbus/Dayton rock lifer or just a fan of bands that keep their heads down and do the work, this one’s for you. Pre-order below.

Pre-order Gravity Is Just a Way to Fall ↗

1“Let Me Know When It’s Yes”

2“Interior Magnets”

3“Meet a Changing World”

4“It Was Hard to Be a Team Last Night”

5“Beethoven Tonight”

6“Hang Up”

7“Javelina Nowhere”

8“Take It Out on Me”

9“Silent Velvet”

10“Seemed Like You to Me”

11“Pablo Icarus”

12“Every One Is Really Five”

13“How Different We Are”