Snailgun – Glass Walls LP

If you paid attention to what’s happening on the contemporary underground music scene, you probably know how many bands deliver outstanding music, but if you dig deep down under the surface, you realize it’s the same old, repetitive, predictable, and bland sound, recorded and released by the countless renowned bands many decades ago. Post-punk has been going through a resurgence in recent years, but with so many bands mimicking each other without putting any effort into experimentations, there’s really no wonder that the listeners return to those acts who created the genre in the first place. But, if you’re a dedicated fan of post-punk music, and you have time to really explore the depths of the genre, then you may find some music outlets willing to break all the rules, shapeshift the boundaries, and deliver music that really stands out from anything you could hear on the contemporary music scene nowadays. Snailgun, an exceptional Australian post-punk trio hailing from Naarm, is one of those bands that definitely needs your utmost attention. With “Glass Walls,” their recently released debut full-length, they deliver a fresh, unique, innovative post-punk sound rarely heard nowadays. With eight outstanding compositions, they not only incorporate the fundamentals of this longstanding music genre, but also implement some of the finest properties borrowed from noise rock, post-hardcore, no wave, alternative, etc. The best part about these additional sonic ingredients is how the band uses them as more than necessary enhancements, accentuations, decorations, and other details that uplift each composition on an entirely new level, while the band remains loyal to the primary sonic direction. Each song articulates as a separate piece of work, yet it suits the larger narrative, making this album such a perfect addition to any record collection. And while the band wisely explores all the fundamentals of the genre and pays homage to the roots in so many ways, you’ll also notice how they infuse qualities that meet all the trends of modern music production, making “Glass Walls” such a perfect album that will not only appeal to the longtime fans of this genre, but also to anyone who appreciates cleverly assembled and flawlessly performed music.

As soon as you press play, you’ll notice how Snailgun goes all over the place with experimentation, but still maintains that feral, jangly, noisy post-punk rock atmosphere throughout the entire material. Each composition arrives with a perfect structure, decorated by the many clever arrangements, profoundly detailed segments, brilliant ideas, and outstanding musicianship. Levitating between soulful, melodic chants and passionate shouts is the vocal performance that certainly elevates this sonic experience to new heights, commands attention, and guides listeners on an epic journey through the expansive sonic universe. These vocal techniques allow the singer to seamlessly balances low, mid, and high notes, add more harmony or aggression when needed, and all that while emphasizing what the remainder of the band intended to achieve with this material. Besides decorating all those segments and orchestrations with such precision and finesse, he also contributes more than necessary emotional depth and complexity to already intricate songs. In the meantimem the guitars craft a perfect backdrop for all the vocals to shine upon. You’ll immediately notice a comprehensive collection of jangly, angular, heavily distorted chord progressions, riffs, harmonies, melodies, themes, experimentations, and other sonic maneuvers offering those songs more calm, soothing, relaxing, ethereal or extremely raw, abrasive, noisy, aggressive moments when needed. These instrumentations depend of the song’s mood or atmosphere, but they always sound incredible. Also, you’ll hear how particular compositions demand more instruments, so do not be surprised if you stumble upon some crazy piano or tenor sax maneuvers, which, in this case, uplift songs to an entirely new level. This album wouldn’t sound complete without the equally impressive rhythm section. You’ll hear how the intricate, warm-sounding basslines rumble beneath lush guitar works, offering more than necessary heaviness, clarity, and depth while simultaneously acting as a binding element between the mentioned instrumentation and rhyhtmic patterns. The rich, deep, dense, heavy low end notes provide more groove, detail, and power without overwhelming other orchestrations, yet they’re vividly hearable in the mix. This instrument plays a significant role in this sonic equation, offering warmth that acts as a counterbalance to raw, aggressive, gritty guitar works. The exceptional drumming performance, based upon cleverly arranged, flawlessly performed, well-accentuated beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics, keeps the other instruments in line while dictating groove and pace. Each hit of the snare, kick of the bass drum, accentuation over the hi-hat, and splashes over cymbals play a significant role here, offering groove, power, dynamics, and detail. As you can hear, each instrument has its place and purpose, making “Glass Walls” such an outstanding album.

“Glass Walls” is one of those recordings without fillers. It’s an album that demands your utmost attention due to the Snailgun’s marvelous musicianship. Their experience, knowledge, skills, talent, and creativity are on full display here, delivering one of the finest post-punk albums you’ll hear this year. Therefore, head to their Bandcamp page and order this gem on vinyl. Do not miss it!