‘Music Inside’, the third album from MIDNITE SNAXXX, sees the band expand the envelope with their most eclectic recording yet. While the punky power pop is still very much their thing, they seem intent on not stopping here but venturing into new directions or do they?
Recorded in Los Angeles with DIE GROUP guru Eric Big Arm at the controls, ‘Music Inside’ captures Snaxxx at their most absorbing: the guitar interplay is dramatically increased, the rhythms strikingly more diverse and the songwriting infinitely more substantive. The album is rooted in bubblegum melodies with happy backbeats and from the opener and title track you might be forgiven for thinking these guys have just gorged themselves on 50s girl group vocals with cat scratch guitars going at it behind the vocals and playing nothing past the early 80s with the Banshees being their mainline inspiration with a few other valid scene makers thrown in for good measure. With themes of frustration and personal/political anger. ‘Lights Out’ has a tougher edge to the sound that’s like early 80s post-punk and it doesn’t hang around too long either. Another trate the band peddles.
‘She Don’t Want That’ sees hints at Banshees rhythms with some off-kilter rhythms and time changes. Its got the Slits meets bow wow wow meets poly styrene in a retro way. ’12 O’Clock’ sounds like it was borrowed off Buzzcocks and never returned. ‘Gold Chains’ in another world would have seen the band become a Tube show staple.’Cyborg’ is a high-speed lo-fi slice of post-punk that doesn’t hang about which is something of a theme as most of the tunes are hovering around the two-minute mark just long enough before the Hubba bubba loses its flavour no doubt Midnite Snaxxx wouldn’t want to bore themselves would they so heads down and charge seems like a great idea.
MIDNITE SNAXXX might well fall between several stools by being Too punk for garage too garage for pop and too pop for the trendies which by default would make them punk as fuck wouldn’t it? I don’t dislike this record (far from it) I just don’t connect with it (if that makes any sense?) maybe that’s the point don’t overthink it just listen to it – dance to it – laugh with it just don’t ignore it. I’ll keep these tune handy because one day I might just crave me some disposable punk rock power pop that’s sugary sweet whilst being caustic and rough at the same time, that’s punk rock for you.
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