Nate Smith serves up a varied and sometimes surprising collection with Through the Smoke, the follow-up to the California-born singer-songwriter’s 2023 full-length self-titled debut. Across seven tracks, the chameleonic singer brings elements of hard rock, soul and rootsy pop to his take on country, landing somewhere between the sounds of contemporaries like Bailey Zimmerman and Old Dominion. The EP opens with single “Bulletproof”, a fiery take on the country trope of trying to drown heartbreak in bourbon. The acclaimed husband-and-wife duo The War and Treaty joins Smith on “Make It with You”, a swelling folk-pop love song that softens Smith’s edges and makes good use of the Trotters’ powerhouse voices. “Here’s to Hometowns” glides effortlessly on a smooth and catchy melody while offering a laundry list of what makes home special. Smith closes the project on an unexpected note, faithfully covering the 1993 Nirvana classic “Heart-Shaped Box”.