Review Summary: a brief yet highly enjoyable slice of happy math rock
Still is an awesome little release from self-proclaimed "happy heavy mathrock" band Snooze. Released in 2020, the Chicago based group crafted a great mix of heavy breakdowns, mathy riffs and beautiful post rock touches with melodic vocals over top. The singer Logan Voss has a fantastic range, from low baritones to soaring highs and gritty yells while the always impressive instrumentation grounds the entire album.
The open track “What’s the secret of Ingrediant of a Toilot” (yes that’s how the spelled it) is a great introduction into the album as it showcases all of the unique pieces that the band puts together. Plenty of headbangable breakdowns flow seamlessly into ethereal clean sections into frantic melodic math riffs. It's obvious Snooze doesn’t take themselves too seriously as you’ll hear in the interlude titled “Transition” and there is an overall happy-go-lucky and fun vibe to the music that makes it all the more enjoyable. That’s not to say there aren't some fantastically beautiful and more serious moments on the album, as the group has a real knack for creating interesting chord progressions and lead lines that fit together wonderfully.
The drum and bass performances are also very impressive. The songs have a consistent and enjoyable groove to them creating a solid backdrop to the sometimes twinkly guitar swells and flourishes wisping in and out of the mix. The run-time is perfect and there isn't an ounce of fat on the release to be found. I’m not sure if the band considers this an EP or mini-album but regardless, the shorter run time works wonderfully.
Still from Snooze is a must listen for anyone who enjoys melodic math rock or technical music in general. The music never feels like noodling or over-the-top because of how catchy and beautiful a lot of the moments are. Overall, I'm very excited to see where this band goes in the future and they certainly offer up a very unique sound in a genre that can sometimes feel over indulgent.
4.3/5
