"Alex Ian Smith, the primary force behind the New York-based project Railings, sounds nothing like Cobain, but his voice induces similarly vicarious listening. In " Breaking the Bong," the opening track of Railings' 2017 album, ) (, he darts from guttural highs to velvety lows and then breaks into an effortlessly clear falsetto. It warrants the most preposterous-sounding comparisons: Prince meets David Lee Roth; David Thomas with the lung capacity of Benny "The Voice" Mardones."
"Inscrutable Bandcamp tags like "asbestos fields" and "culinary shears" do little to describe how Railings' music reconciles arch chaos and sophisticated melodies with the apparent influences of quiet storm and no wave. But from the jump, Railings '26's "industrial" tag feels apt. A corrosive noise loop and intermittent snare-kick-kick-kick beat ominously announce opener "The Canyon" before flangey, chromatic jazz chords lay a noirish foundation for Smith's eerily deadpan vocals."
Alex Ian Smith leads New York-based Railings with a distinctive, elastic vocal range that shifts from guttural highs to velvety lows and effortless falsetto. Railings emerged on Brooklyn's DIY circuit in 2012 and released half a dozen records blending psychedelia, funk, soul, and noise. Band membership beyond Smith and bassist Sean Liljequist remains unclear and social accounts have been dormant, yet Railings '26 appeared with a single X post. The new collection leans toward streamlined, restrained songwriting while retaining arch chaos. An industrial palette anchors the opener The Canyon, where corrosive loops and noirish jazz chords support deadpan vocals.
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