New From Snailbones
If you haven’t heard of Snailbones by now, don’t feel too bad. There’s still time to witness this Portland, OR, band’s sonic onslaught of furious, passionate vocals (courtesy of all band members) over jagged guitars (Timothy Francis), bass (Kelly Minton) and rapid-fire drumming (Drew Owens). Not sure what to start with? Their latest, greatest album, Keelhaul ‘em All, should have you covered.
With both this album as well as Tinnitus Alrightus having been recorded in a total of just five days at Map Room Studios during the pandemic, Snailbones is now focused on doing an upcoming Canadian tour. They’ll also be performing at a music fest while in Canada. Keelhaul ‘em All, their second full-length, was mixed by Matt Boynton (All Nerve by The Breeders) at Figure 8 Recording Studio and mastered by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Service.
On this album, the Pacific Northwest trio’s influences, namely The Breeders, The Jesus Lizard and Shellac, are not hard to detect at all, and producer Steve Albini’s musical DNA is slathered all across this project. This gives the band some extra credibility in the noise rock and punk underground, and is an alluring snapshot of when both indie and grunge were really heating up. The album begins with “Mouse Clap,” which lyrically speaks of a mutiny on a ship-- and sounds like one, too. Amid waves of squealing guitar feedback, there are screams of dissent and various rhythmic switch-ups.
Then we get to “Dead Inside.” This cut features more of Owens’ complex drumming filtered through Albini’s uniquely tight snare sounds. The guitar that stops and starts as it glides along Minton’s sturdy bass work is a welcome touch as well. “Sweet and Serene” sounds more like a Nirvana song than anything else here. It’s likely due to three main elements: the slower pace, the firm quiet-to-loud dynamics and the throat-shredding screams reminiscent of Kurt Cobain. Considering how much I enjoy Nirvana’s catalog, I highlight this song as a standout.
“Slave to Hate” has an instantly recognizable bass riff and one particularly seething lyric, “I’d rather pour salt into my eyes / Than to talk to you / I hate you (x4).” “Floating” is the closest the band get to sounding like The Breeders. Perhaps it’s because Minton sings lead for a little while on it. Either way, you won’t want to skip this song, especially if you love Kim Deal and company like your second family.
The second half of this nine-song outing begins with “Death Face,” which even has a music video to accompany it. It’s one of the most musically straightforward tracks on Keelhaul ‘em All, but underneath the simple structure lies an ugly sentiment that “we’ll do everything we possibly can to fail.” “Dissension” circles back to the screams of dissent and frenetic drum work of “Mouse Clap.”
Lastly, “Bury Me Meow” again reminds me of Nirvana, specifically from their album In Utero. Like “Sweet and Serene,” there is a lulling guitar line that is played until all the messy distortion jolts you awake. Francis pretty much screams his lungs out here, too. All in all, Snailbones evokes intense nostalgia for the early to mid-‘90s. Their latest album, Keelhaul ‘em All, has everything it takes for them to blow up big time. Highly recommended.