A Joyful Noise
Knowing what I do about Snöleoparden, the music serves as an interesting, if not always easy to digest, musical experiment. But what if you don't know the story? What if you're just sitting down, putting on headphones and giving the record a spin (or click) and taking what comes on its merit as music alone . . .is it worthwhile?
This reviewer is saying yes.
I'm going to leave the background and process of how Snöleoparden creates the music and sounds on this album to the googling-prowess of anyone curious enough to go digging. I have a feeling this is the same type of mind that will be curious enough to dig into this album with real appreciation. I'm fighting the urge to break the album down, track-by-track, since it switches styles on practically every track, but I'll try to give a brief overview of the various songs on display here.
The album's first half features a pair of tracks built off of some impressive loop work featuring a child's xylophone toy playing several rhythms against itself before switching the style to loose folk smothered in the loud, off-key singing of children; to analogue experiments with loops and noises that echo the Aphex Twin at his most playful.
"Trance" does just what it says, sounding like an unused bit of score from Apocalypse Now with its hypnotic drums, swirling woodwind sounds and screeching effects. On the complete opposite end is "UFO" which is built out of little more than a beautiful, though slightly eerie, guitar line and burbling sound effects.
While the styles are all over the map (did I mention the beautiful track featuring a boy from Pakistan on vocals?), there's ultimately something cohesive and engaging about the disparate music styles on display here. This album rarely, if ever, features anything approaching a traditional "song" and I feel it's better for it. Even if some (or all) of the tracks/experiments don't engage the listener, it should be a pleasure for anyone with a curious mind to appreciate, if not enjoy, an album that captures the rapturous ramblings of a truly creative mind.
| Reviewer: Will Joines Added: January 21st 2008 |
|
