SBÄM Records – 22 Mar 2024
Two great albums for the price of one!
Quickly: Snuff have a tendency to throw about lingo that a lot of people are unfamiliar with, especially outside of the confines of Europe, so a “Charabanc” is a an old-timey horse-drawn carriage or motor vehicle, typically open-topped with benches. Like, a bus. Look at the album cover… that's a charabanc.
Less than a year after their all-acoustic album Come And Have A Go If You Think You're Rachmaninoff, UK legends Snuff return with a kinda double-LP Off On The Charabanc. The first half of the album is all electric, with the second part being acoustic.
The long-running act, minus a brief lull from 1991-1994, are one of those bands that continue to pump out great material. With this, their twelfth studio LP (depending on how you count them, it might be 13th; plus with a batch of EPs and god knows how many 7″s thrown in), the band continues to build on the foundation established after their reformation of catchy punk emboldened by that Hammond organ, some brass and, now, the occasional cello, too.
I can't emphasize enough how consistent Snuff have been in making fun and memorable albums throughout the decades. While some of their peers now drag themselves onwards like zombies, releasing half-baked albums that their hearts are not clearly in to, these likely lads and lass are quietly chugging along and, clearly, having a blast. Although they've recently (in the grand scheme of things) begun interpreting older songs acoustically on a grand scale, this isn't a sign of the creative well running dry- if anything, considering the care put into each acoustic rendition (more so than just “play it acoustic”), it demonstrates a growth beyond what many bands new or old can achieve.
Let's start with the electric section: Right from the get go, “Go Easy” is a rousing, upbeat song that seems basic at first. What'll get you is when Duncan Redmonds (vocals, drums) rolls into the second verse, and the backing vocals (something Snuff has always excelled at both compositionally and performance-wise) come in with a different set of backing lyrics. It sounds good, it's an ear worm. Sure. But once Duncan is done with the second verse he joins in with the backing vocals, and you learn that these lyrics are the chorus to the song. It's a minor thing and, in the hands of a lesser troupe, may not have been as awe-striking. But it's Snuff, and it lands. So well I got a fuzzy little buzz in my head- endorphin high triggered by music? Yes.
Next up is the semi-titular “Charabanc,” a slower tempo with a seemingly simple beat , but replete with little flourishes and fills. Snuff songs rest as much on the vocals as the music itself, and a good turn of phrase and delivery always goes a long way. Redmonds has a singularly unique voice, and his singing plus the backing vocals and harmonies are what you'll take the most away from with this song.
“Booster” is a much faster, and harder, banger; and “Yellow Lights” is another mid-high tempo song that works well on its own, but shines later (more on that… uhhh.. later). “Purple Prisoner” joins a long line of Snuff instrumentals, and this one has a very dirty rock feel to it, even the Hammond has some crunchy, fuzzy distortion at times. When Loz Wong (guitar) rips off what might be the blazingest solo on a Snuff song yet, it is so fuzzed out you're barely hearing what's happening at first, but it all sounds so damn good. It's crunchy and loud and I love it.
If “Purple Prisoner” joins Snuff's illustrious instrumentals, “Fireball” satisfies the more apoplectic, noisy punk side of the catalog. It's unabashedly loud and in your face, but they can still have fun… just wait for the “blblblblblblbuh” part (you'll know it when you hear it). “Children Get Ready” straddles the line that “Fireball” crossed, while also being probably the most melodic punk tune on the album.
Before the transition to the “official” acoustic side of the release, Snuff close out the first part with… an acoustic song. “The Skip” is a gentle cooldown from the previous seven tracks and, on its own, represents a decent closer. However…
OK, so now Snuff turns off the power and starts sharing songs acoustically. Of the seven acoustics on the album, three are new songs heard earlier all plugged in. There's something to be said about immediately releasing acoustic versions of your songs on the same album, as often this is reserved for a special release sometime down the road, when the electric versions have had time to endear themselves to fans' hearts. But for Snuff, these songs are part and parcel with the experience as a whole. As Redmonds describes “(they are) my expression of love for folk music.”
As with “…Rachmaninoff” it shows with the care taken in crafting these acoustic arrangements. Flipping album openers so that “Charabanc” comes first, with “Go Easy” following, both songs are slower, more somber experiences, but no less enjoyable. There's an editorial ear for presenting them in a different order, and it works.
Next up is “Reach,” from their 2000 release Numb Nuts, followed by “Yellow Lights.” That latter is notable because, to me, it lands a lot better acoustically. Not that the earlier counterpart is bad, but this is both a heartfelt and moving piece. Dare say I preferred this one more?
Slower number “Toxic,” is… an original? I've got a lot of Snuff albums, but not all of them, especially some of the rarer ephemera out there. “All Over Now” was part of that rare ephemera, appearing on the Chocs Away EP in 2002 before showing up again on the Disposable Income LP later the same year.
The album closes out with a very folk music song with the haunting “An Arm and a Leg to Klinsey Crag.” Redmond's normally gravely voice is muted throughout and the song gently brings you down from the high of before, leaving the listener satiated.
Snuff has done a lot of things throughout their career, but this recent bend towards acoustic integrated with the electric is something to behold. Somehow, some way, they're a band that just keeps getter better and more interesting with each release. Admittedly, I'm a long-time fan. I've been on the Snuff train Charabanc for close to three decades now. But each and every album could be an entry point for unsuspecting fans. Off On The Charabanc is no exception and, in fact, might be a contender for the entry point to share with the uninitiated.
the white drew carey (aka – Jeff Sorley) is the founder and head editor of TGEFM. He's lived (outside of) Chicago, Madison WI, (ugh) Penn State, Lyon FR, Oxford UK, central New Jersey, and now within earshot of SFO in the Bay Area. When not scouring the web for more great bands and labels to post about, he also spends time drawing (mostly) silly sci-fi and anime stuff under the name Asplenia Studios.