Smog sounds to me like an institution with a small, but devoted following. This is just a guess based on their sound, mind you, but I think I'm pretty close to the mark. Burning Kingdom is nearly grandiose for a good majority of its length, consisting of some pretty ballsy levels of sparseness which, to me, belies a sense of "playing to fans who are waiting to see what Smog will do next" . The somber guitar parts are distorted and adorned with cellos and violas to haunting effect. The Song "Renee' Died" pulls its strength from the spare arrangement and recording undeneath lilting female vocals. This is another record that is so "indier than thou" it's almost sickening. The thing is it was released in 1994, making it way ahead of its time. I like this record in a very general and tentative way, but I'm mystified by it. I have a feeling it will only gain luster with each listen. If you like bands like Mount Eerie, Smog is worth checking out.
