Smudge - Tea, Toast & Turmoil (1993) & Hot Smoke & Sassafras ep (1994)

Never heard of Smudge? Chances are, if you're a Lemonheads fan, you have likely heard Tom Morgan's (Smudge frontman) songs, including "It's A Shame About Ray," and "The Outdoor Type." In fact, co-songwriting credits between Tom and Evan can be found all over Come On and Feel the Lemonheads. Defunct (with the exception of a few recent one-off gigs), co-ed power-trio Smudge hailed from points south, Sydney, Australia to be exact. Evan Dando has returned the favor by penning songs for Morgan, as well as a tribute song to Smudge drummer Alision Galloway, in the form of "Alison's Starting to Happen" from It's a Shame About Ray.

Smudge existed for the better part of the '90s, but only their first two albums saw any distribution in North America. Morgan and Co. had a penchant for up-tempo, riff-happy power pop with an emphasis on conciseness and the kind of hooks to give a right nut for. 1993's Tea, Toast & Turmoil was their debut album, rife with bitchin' two-minute ear confections, adorned with clever wordplay. In a perfect world, "Spoilt Brat," and "Don't Want to Be Grant McLennan" should have been universal classics that usurped the hollow dreck churned out by such embarrassing contemporaries as Hootie and Collective Soul.

The Hot Smoke and Sassafras ep came a year later, delivering more brisk, tongue-in-cheek tunes. Manilow, their second proper album broke Smudge to a larger audience in Oz, but did little to make waves Stateside. The two disks this post concerns are out of print, but Manilow was reissued as a splendid, two-disk deluxe edition, on Half a Cow Records.

"Somewhere between the Lemonheads and Husker Du, she keeps on getting on top of the sink but she can't get on top of you." from "Alison" 

 

Tea, Toast & Turmoil

01. Superhero

02. Missing You

03. Spolit Brat

04. Straight Face Down

05. Outside

06. Make All Our Dreams Come True

07. Pulp

08. plug It Up

09. Divan

10. Alison

11. Don't Want To Be Grant Mclennan

12. Stranglehold

13. Dabble

14. Leroy de Foix

15. Tea Toast & Turmoil

16. Foccacia

17. Steak & Chips

18. Babaganouj

Hot Smoke & Sassafras ep

01. The Wrong Pony

02. I Am Not the Cosmos

03. Coal Srge

04. My Bright Idea

05. It's Over

06. Tenderfoot

07. Guess I'm a Goner

08. All the Money in the World Can't Buy You A Near Death Experience 

 

These are now available on iTunes and Amazon.