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Sacred Bones Records

Paragons

by Constant Smiles

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Mike Cawood-Campbell
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Mike Cawood-Campbell still waiting for physical cd. love introduction and run to stay which is all I have heard so far. can not wait to here the rest. my cd was dispatched a while ago....so hopefully will not be long. listening now to rest...brilliant stuff. love the vibes. loving Please don't be late!
Raff~99
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Raff~99 I know this album will be amazing because I have been following CS for a few years already and I love their minimal sound and attitude. I got this new album in vinyl format (ltd edition) and when I play it the living room feels brighter and time slows down. Favorite track: “Hope for Tomorrow”. I have dedicated a few artworks on Instagram to CS (@eler_99). Thanks guys. Raff
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  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Sacred Bones mail-order exclusive version: Edition of 300 copies, pressed on Sengekontacket Full Moon color vinyl.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Paragons via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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  • Vineyard Grape Vinyl LP
    Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

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  • Limited Edition Test Pressing
    Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    One of a kind test pressing of Paragons with individual photograph collage

    Includes unlimited streaming of Paragons via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Sold Out
1.
Introduction 01:00
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2.
Run To Stay 02:37 video
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3.
Hope For Tomorrow 03:21
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4.
The Things I Miss 03:45
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5.
Learning To Start Over 03:38
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6.
With Death In Mind 03:13
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7.
Interlude 00:59
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8.
The Weight 03:33
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9.
Daisy, Table For Three 04:03 video
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10.
Please Don't Be Late 03:57
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11.
Shame 01:52
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12.
Where Am I Now? 03:52
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13.
Outro 00:37
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about

Typically, a band’s big indie label debut doesn't come 15 albums into its career, but with Constant Smiles’ Paragons, here we are.

Primary songwriter and sole “constant” member Ben Jones—who considers Constant Smiles a collective—sees its impressive output as a way to document the group’s evolution. Since its live debut as a noise duo on Ben’s home of Martha’s Vineyard in 2009, Constant Smiles has grown to include contributions from 50 other members, all of whom have personal connections to the group’s extended family.

Through its recent forays into dream pop and shoegaze (Control) and synth-pop (John Waters), Constant Smiles has learned how to incorporate its experimental inclinations more fluidly into the mix. Artists like Yo La Tengo, and the more recent Rat Columns, are good touchstones for Constant Smiles’ musical approach—tethering to an indie-pop core while perennially mining genres, always finding new ways to intrigue listeners and pursue a unique vision. Fans enamored with the gauzy, Slowdivish musings of Control, for instance, will now face the crisp production of Paragons, where the eeriness of downbeat tracks like “Floating” has been replaced with the yearning and confessional tone of “Daisy, Table for Three.” Elsewhere, the band’s krautrock leanings have carried forward on songs like “Please Don’t Be Late” and “Where Am I Now?” albeit covered in a new sheen—the gold leaf gleam and radiant blues of the album cover perfectly mirroring the album’s mood. And just when you think you have Paragons all figured out, you’re hit with one of Constant Smiles’ most overtly melodic surprises to date in the late album gem “Shame.”

Paragons was produced and engineered by Ben Greenberg in the last two weeks of December 2020 at Gary’s Electric, with additional recording done by Ben Jones at his home studio, The Void, and his Aunt Leanne’s house. The album was mixed at Circular Ruin Studio and mastered by Josh Bonati. The band on Paragons consists of Jai Berger (who performed “Introduction”), Spike Currier (bass and synth), Matthew Addison (drums), Emma Conley (violin), Nicky Wetherell (cello), Adam Lipsky (piano), and Ben Greenberg (guitar and Mellotron).

The only constants in Constant Smiles are Ben Jones and his friends.

Chris Liberato

credits

released November 12, 2021

All songs written by Constant Smiles as part of the New York Trilogy
except "Introduction" by Jai Berger and "Outro" by Nicky Wetherell

Produced and Engineered by Ben Greenberg
Assistant Engineering - Mark Bennett and Robbie Aceto
Mastered by Josh Bonati
Layout design by Dave Correll

Constant Smiles
Spike Currier
Matthew Addison
Emma Conley
Mike Mackey
Ben Greenberg
Jai Berger
Adam Lipsky
Nicky Wetherell
Carrie Schaff
Blaze Bateh
Chris Liberato
Caleb Braaten
Sofi Thanhauser

Jai Berger - "Introduction"
Spike Currier - Bass and Synth
Matthew Addison - Drums
Emma Conley - Violin
Nicky Wetherell - Cello
Adam Lipsky - Piano
Ben Greenberg - Guitar and Meletron

Recorded at Gary's Electric, Circular Ruin Studio, The Void, and Leanne's House.

Special Thanks to: Mikey Gunn, Caleb Braaten, Mike Barnes, Doug Jones, Jeanne Staples, WFMU, Walter and Daphnie Malsch, Sam Mason, WVVY, Will Roan, Kahoots, Drawing Guts/ Mortality Gains, The Loogies, Killer Motorcycle, Emily Kempf, and Sacred Bones.

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Constant Smiles Massachusetts

Over the last half decade, the music collective Constant Smiles has produced a prolific output of acclaimed music, culminating in their forthcoming record Kenneth Anger, masterfully brought to life by engineer Jonathan Schenke (Parquet Courts, Liars, Dougie Pool). The group is known most recently for their much-praised debut album for Sacred Bones records, Paragons, produced by Ben Greenberg. ... more

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