Over Now |
In the tradition of bands like My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive, Dallas band the Snowdonnas play shoegazer music. It’s not a soundtrack for head-banging, booty-shaking or hand-forehead-stapling. Rather, it’s background for sitting back and remembering lost loves, missed opportunities and the Way Things Turned Out in the End. It’s nostalgic and hopeful at the same time: music for the last day of summer vacation, or for that first date with someone who reminds you of your high school sweetheart. “Edison” begins things on a suitably mixed note. Jangly guitars are dissonant enough to add spice and bite but never dissonant enough to become painful. “You bring good things to life,” Tim White croons beneath a blanket of sonic melancholy. It’s a bittersweet joy that warms your heart without turning your stomach. “Heartache” has a similar blend, with sad lyrics propelled by White’s guitar, Otto’s bass, Niki Saukam’s drums and Bysshe’s synthesizer stylings. “Over Now” has Tim talking about how he “lost his best friend today” ... but the music is, if anything, more upbeat and driving than the rest of the album. This incongruity adds to the album’s strength. Real life is generally pretty complicated: why should our music be any different? While the Snowdonnas are definitely a Shoegazer band, they aren’t afraid to draw upon other influences. “Burn” has some sweet, high backing vocals which reminded me of the Beach Boys. (Imagine Brian Wilson on Thorazine, singing “i won’t shed a tear” and “you won’t feel nothing” and you’ll get the drift.) The opening guitar line of “Watchful Waiting” will definitely appeal to Cure fans, while the sad echoing vocal reminded me of Morrissey without the histrionics. Like good Scotch it goes down smoothly ... and carries a powerful kick. Over Now is stylish, well-crafted alternative rock. It’s a promising debut, and one which shows real promise for the future. I suspect the second Snowdonnas CD will retain much of the smooth intelligence of “Over Now” while branching into new territory. If you like Shoegazer—or if you’re a fan of intelligent alternative rock which is melancholy without being whiny and upbeat without being sappy—you definitely will want to add this one to your collection. 1. Edison Tim White: vocals, guitar snowdonnas website |