Album Review
The Snips - Blackouts EP
Michael DiRisio
Issue date: 11/17/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Blackouts marks a slight break from The Snips' characteristically horn-driven punk-rock-meets-hardcore sound. Though their prior release, Check Your Audio, displayed, at times, awkward transitions between their rocking punk riffs, catchy horn sections and chugging guitars, Blackouts has cleaned up the mix. After leaving the chugs behind and only adding horns when they are needed, The Snips have adopted a more dynamic approach to their writing, making the transitions seamless. At times sounding almost indie, more akin to the more upbeat songs from fellow Welland act Attack in Black, it shows a clear growth in their approach to song writing. The hardcore fans should not fret too much, however, as there is still more than enough energy in each track to keep the fans moving. The bonus is that this EP has songs that I can see myself listening to at home on a regular basis, unlike past tracks that offered solid live show material, but got dusty on my shelf.
The opening track, "Tired Tires", strikes a balance between new and old material, with slightly more melodic verses, but a more traditional sing-along chorus, ending up as possibly their catchiest song yet. Later on, the track "Finkle is Einhorn" quickly caught my attention, being somewhat reminiscent of The Used's faster material, a sound I had yet to hear from The Snips. It is a pleasant surprise, however, as they blend this with their own sound, maintaining a The Bronx-esque rockin' vibe throughout the record.
The recent vocalist change left me skeptical at first, however Rick Pridmore, the trumpet player and past supporting vocalist, has stepped up and proven himself. With a greater vocal range both in tone, as he can hit more notes, and grunge, as he can hit them with a greater variation of aggression, he adds to the increasingly dynamic sound that is consistent on this EP. Though it is rather short, with five songs, averaging about three minutes each, it shows The Snips' improved aptitude for song writing, and should be a welcome addition to any punk-rock or indie listeners collection.
-Michael DiRisio
The opening track, "Tired Tires", strikes a balance between new and old material, with slightly more melodic verses, but a more traditional sing-along chorus, ending up as possibly their catchiest song yet. Later on, the track "Finkle is Einhorn" quickly caught my attention, being somewhat reminiscent of The Used's faster material, a sound I had yet to hear from The Snips. It is a pleasant surprise, however, as they blend this with their own sound, maintaining a The Bronx-esque rockin' vibe throughout the record.
The recent vocalist change left me skeptical at first, however Rick Pridmore, the trumpet player and past supporting vocalist, has stepped up and proven himself. With a greater vocal range both in tone, as he can hit more notes, and grunge, as he can hit them with a greater variation of aggression, he adds to the increasingly dynamic sound that is consistent on this EP. Though it is rather short, with five songs, averaging about three minutes each, it shows The Snips' improved aptitude for song writing, and should be a welcome addition to any punk-rock or indie listeners collection.
-Michael DiRisio
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Brad
posted 12/13/09 @ 9:09 PM EST
soo disappointed. I liked them when they played fast. and I was excited for this, especially after hearing old engines.
they wrote good, fast songs, and I just find this irritating. (Continued…)
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