Snog - VS the Faecal Juggernaut of Mass Culture

Okay, I must admit it sometimes, more often than I’d like to admit I’m an idiot. I make assumptions based on rumour and become afraid to try something. I heard with this album Snog was returning to an older style and I instantly thought shit there we go again. Another band that I think is top of the game trying to make a quick cash grab to try and stay afloat. Realistically Snog would be better off to drop the industrial trappings (i.e. label etc) and keep on with the folktronic thing in order to find increased success. So with a heightened sense of trepidation I put this album on and was pleasantly surprised. I realized this was all a clever marketing ploy to trick me into purchasing Snog product: I was supposed to say hey I like repetitive electronic structures with typical beats. And then I was supposed to remember that once upon a time Snog had a sort of 4/4 techno sound and some great, great tracks and I was supposed to equate that with the bland modern equivalent (that really isn’t equal at all, but as they said in hammy hamster, that’s another story). Although not quite what I had hoped it would be, it certainly wasn’t an inane return to the old Snog sound(not that there was anything wrong with it: to everything there is a season). But a much more realized electro-dance version of change. At times it almost sounds like a kind of classic rock form done techno or something like that. Perhaps Lynrd Skynrd played through a sampler by (Insert some electronic artist here that either you like or has some sort of credibility to give this review an air of authority). And at times reminds me of some of the current crop of garage bands. The themes remain powerful anti well anti lots of things, critiques of the modern dialectics. Discussing where things are going wrong, who’s doing what, kooky conspiracy theories told in such a way that you begin to question yourself for doubting them. But then again maybe the whole point is to get you to ponder these ideas, perhaps to stop and thing why would you toss out those and not others. How you can believe the inane ramblings of a mad man masquerading as a politician(apply to appropriate country here), and yet not fall for what is conventionally considered ridiculous. And further how is it that every country seems to currently have one of these clowns in charge at the moment, and perhaps always have had. Hmmm. Maybe there is a body behind it all controlling the world and convincing us all of our ineptness, our inabilities to stand up and perceive. Or maybe this is all craziness, the world is okay people can be happy. Maybe I should just consume and never question nor think about my place. Where I continue to facilitate an oppressive culture. Yeah, I think that’s it. I’ll just go along on my happy way and pretend to be ignorant of the world’s goings on. Oh yeah buy this disc I makes good buying sense, this way you can help to prop up the evil corporate powers of the world, we can all sing and dance in ignorant bliss. The percentage of good to bad on this disc falls well into the plum side of good, so therefore it is a good allocation of your meager funds, do your piggy bank a favour and invest where the productivity is. Don’t hesitate buy now, it all works out in the end.

vizgig @ november 2006