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Album Review
by SashaS
25-5-2002
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| Looper's 'The Snare' artwork |
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Looper: 'The Snare'
(Mute)
Looper discard form in search of a tender ambient
Looper’s ‘The Snare’ finds the band moving from electronica of their previous two albums to a land of sonic experiment and tonal sculptures. Let’s be clear about this, it is gonna be a challenging listen if you happen to have grown up believing that Robbie Williams is anything but a copyist-of-many-genres and thus no master of any artistry. (Well, he’s created a ‘tabloid’ identity but the artistic one is way beyond him.)
Anyway, ‘The Snare’ is a diametrically opposed to the market demands with its lo-fi approach and vocal that is respectfully restrained, bordering on a bedroom-whisper. Stuart David, former bassist with Belle & Sebastian, doesn’t really force his vocal on you, it really is there to guide you into a world parallel to the one that is pretty vacant of anything but hype. ‘The Snare’ is a concept album, not thematically, but sonically with minimal backing and construction of a melodic outline around David.
These are sketches of melodies with traces of recognisable elements, there are slight echoes of the legendary French soundtracks from the 1960s… ‘New York Snow’ toys with a little vignette that is wrapped around a gently-funk basis, while ‘Lover’s Leap’ comes closest to a conventional song. ‘This Evil Love’ could be an ideal signature cut if a remake of ‘Un Homme et Une Femme’ were ever attempted.
Softly swaying tracks are let down a wee bit with a lack of variety; ten songs of the same mood and similar settings get a tad too much in one sitting. Perhaps, this spectrum should be consumed in a couple of sessions or as a soundtrack to a decent foreplay… ‘F**king Around’ concludes listening with a brass-melody that sounds like being targeted at another film, this time starring Hugh Grant.
The overall impression of ‘The Snare’ (didn’t hear many ‘though) is an album that would be an ideal accompaniment to a dinner-for-two on a resort’s balcony with a sun-setting background over a long, sandy beach… May I suggest Bali? An ideal romantic place, if you can afford the fare.
This art-poppiness is a rock-idle pleasure. If rock at all…
7/10
Tour dates:
11 June - Hop and Grape, Manchester
12 June - Rocket, Leeds
13 June - Cottiers Theatre, Glasgow
16 June - Pavilion, Brighton
17 June - Cargo, London
18 June - Cargo, London
SashaS
25-5-2002
Looper’s CD ‘The Snare’ is released 27 May 2002
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