It’s a bit hard to believe that The Rub is the debut full-length record from Your Smith, since she’s been making music for several years. Alas, the long-awaited full artistic statement from the talented songwriter has arrived. After a series of events (the COVID-19 pandemic, starting a family) that led Caroline to step away from the music scene after her excellent last release, 2019’s Wild Wild Woman EP, The Rub finds Your Smith at her most focused, with a knack for crisp and picturesque songwriting. The Rub was recorded with a band at Pachyderm Studio in Cannon Falls, MN, and the record is largely centered around the theme of coming home and re-connecting with the people that make our lives the most worthwhile. The Rub tends to “rub” off on listeners in a great way, and it’s an album that deserves its moment in time.