Yelping vocal delivery is an acquired taste, particularly with Daniel’s delivery. He sings in a falsetto, and for those who find that bothersome, you will probably hate this. Even those who like that style might cringe at the strangeness.
After you get past the vocals, you have the arrangements which are built around his voice. This is social, happy music. I kind of want to compare this to Veggie Tales in terms of how it deals with Christianity: by focusing on the positive, sweet aspects of religion, they’re able to sort of bring you in. A few people who have attended their shows state that it often turns into a sing-along, which is completely fine with me. Too much indie music lacks that interactive, social aspect.
“We Don’t Say Shut Up” embodies everything you’ll encounter here: joyful enthusiasm, indie band instruments, and Smith’s overwhelming voice. Some of the songs take a quieter approach, like “Can We Camp at Your Feet” before bursting into the sweetest ending you could possibly imagine. There’s so much going on in most of the songs, picking out a best melody or beat is fruitless, it is just that busy.
I’m amazed how this guy even exists. Steve Albini helped him record this, and a lot of his fans aren’t even remotely religious, probably more the opposite. Once you listen to it, you realize that this guy embodies the best of cult musicians: dressing up his family as a bunch of nurses, completely indifferent to other people’s reception, he’ll continue to do for a yet-undetermined period of time. And it has been a decade thus far. Don’t stop.