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Snõõper are their own universe now. Since landing with a breath of fresh air on their 2023 debut, it seems the Nashville band is more than willing to double down on their uniquely zany garage and egg punk sound. This time around though, there are some notable extensions in the mix. For one, their use of electronics is more prominent. Snõõper are expanding into synth-punk territory, and that is no more apparent than on the lead single and title track “Worldwide”. This, plus a few deeper cuts on the record, proves that Snõõper can just about do it all and make it work. Even their lyrical oeuvre is deepening, pertaining more to elements of connection, technology and social faux pas. Though if Snõõper performing pithy presentations of dull modernity isn’t quite doing it for you, perhaps you’ll enjoy a hardcore cover of The Beatles’ “Come Together”. Yes, it’s exactly as hilarious and brilliant as it sounds, trust me.
The diversity of influence works massively in the band’s favour this time. Where the stylings of their debut could run a little uniform, especially given the brevity of its tracklist, “Worldwide” keeps things unpredictable. They’re either working with some Evaporators-esque punk rock on tracks like “Company Car” and “Guard Dog”, or they’re working in some recent era Osees-style garage punk on ragers like “Hologram” and “Blockhead”. There’s a tracklisting similarity here, as the closer “Subdivision” is handily the longest cut on the album. Mirroring “Running” off of “Super Snõõper”, it’s a driving piece of post-punk with a steady build. Far from the album’s most immediate track, it still manages to pack itself full of little oddities. There’s less fun to be had in the final leg of the record, yet one gets the feeling that had things been tweaked just slightly, the outcome might’ve been more desirable. “Pom Pom” and “Relay” are non-starters for their own special reasons. The former scribbles way outside the lines, becoming too overwhelming in its presentation to be properly legible. The latter struggles to compliment its muscular rhythm section with any compelling riff ideas. When you apply this to the context of such a whirlwind tracklist, you see it falling to the wayside.
What Snõõper might lack in stellar playing, they more than make up for with a madcap kinetic energy that is impossible to resist. I mean, that’s the punk ethos is it not? There’s been a real resurgence in recent years of this strand of kooky DEVO-inspired insanity. Whether it’s the degenerate filth of a band like Viagra Boys, or the new wave and zolo of Guerilla Toss, or now with the very compact and hook-driven garage punk of Snõõper, it’s a fascinating trend that feels appropriate given the very dour state of the world. It’s the time capsule quality, blended with a modern absurdity that makes their music so appealing. Clearly, there’s a desire to return to something more analogue; tangible. Less streaming and more vinyl. Tape, cassettes, physically owned copies that can be held. Hopefully Snõõper can continue to be the soundtrack for this egg punk revolution, providing a counterpoint to the Pandora’s box of generative AI that we’re still ethically grappling with. Their retro aesthetic certainly radiates that energy.
Dan Will Review 