“Uneasy Does It” by My Science Fiction Twin

No one can ever accuse Jonathon Smith of having a poor ear for sonic details. As the mastermind behind My Science Fiction Twin, the Kansas City-based songwriter has clearly immersed himself in lush worlds of sound, including the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and perhaps most of all, Terry Taylor.

Indeed, much of his latest album, A Slow Unlearning, feels like an ode to Taylor’s own work in Daniel Amos, from the intricate and surprising arrangements and instrumentation — like the keytar solo on “Astir and Apart” or the weepy pedal steel on “Marbled” — to Smith’s thoughtful lyrics about the difficulties of human communication, the beauty of old friends, and perils of skepticism.

That said, the song that sticks with me the most is “Uneasy Does It,” a sprawling, eight-minute instrumental replete with trilling strings, shimmering guitar notes, layers of clattering beats and percussion, and plenty more of that weepy pedal steel. One gets the sense that Smith was inspired to compose the song after taking a nice, long drive through the American heartland sometime around sunset.

A Slow Unlearning will officially be released by Poptek Records on May 8, 2026 but can currently be ordered via Bandcamp.