B-Side Guys

Barry Hyde’s production fingerprints are all over “Fashion,” but this isn’t a Futureheads redux. Instead, the co-production partnership amplifies Tom A. Smith’s raw Sunderland grit into something that hits like a freight train wrapped in silk. Ali Chant’s mix carves out space for every razor-sharp guitar line to breathe while keeping Smith’s vocals front and center, creating a sonic tension that perfectly mirrors the song’s thematic restlessness.

The track opens with a guitar riff that sounds like it’s been stripped from a much more expensive recording session, all precision and purpose. Smith’s vocal delivery carries the weathered quality of someone who’s been performing since childhood, yet maintains the hunger of an artist just hitting his stride. There’s a deliberate swagger in how he approaches each line, never rushing the melody but never letting it settle into comfort either.

What strikes most about “Fashion” is its refusal to follow expected trajectories. The verses build tension through restraint rather than volume, letting Smith’s voice carry the emotional weight while the rhythm section provides a steady heartbeat underneath. When the guitars finally open up during the chorus, it feels earned rather than obligatory. This is music built on the foundation of countless live performances, where every dynamic shift has been tested in front of actual crowds.

Smith’s Fiction Records signing feels less like industry machinery and more like natural progression. The label’s history with guitar-driven acts provides context without constraining his sound. “Fashion” doesn’t attempt to recreate past glories or chase current trends. Instead, it establishes Smith as an artist with his own gravitational pull, someone capable of making familiar elements feel urgent again.

The production choices serve the song’s underlying confidence. Every element exists for a reason, from the way the drums punch through the mix to how the bass lines anchor the more adventurous guitar work. This is careful craftsmanship disguised as spontaneous energy, the kind of balance that suggests Smith and his collaborators understand the difference between polished and sterile.

By the time “Fashion” reaches its conclusion, Smith has accomplished something deceptively difficult: he’s made his ambitions sound inevitable rather than aspirational.