Album review: Snakadaktal, ‘Snakadaktal’
As winners of the 2011 triple j Unearthed High competition, Snakadaktal’s self-titled debut EP comes fraught with expectation. The good news is that it lives up to the hype.
Despite listing Metronomy as a major influence, Snakadaktal’s mellow tones have more in common with The XX and Foals. What they do share with Metronomy however, is serious skill with a synthesiser and a complexity in composition.
Wake Up and Skin Boy are both layered and haunting in equal measures. triple j favourite Air is wistfully beautiful. The only time Snakadaktal’s crafty style of arrangement becomes problematic is Chimera which features so many changes in tempo that it becomes difficult to follow. The song suffers from forcing too many concepts into five minutes, but what it does have going for it is a captivating chorus which sneaks into your head and refuses to leave.
The level of skill and talent in this band might defy its members’ 17 and 18 years but the age-appropriate lyrics ensure songs feel consistently genuine and never precocious. Carnival (Lobster) muses about kids songs around the campfire while Air paints the picture of an ill-fated teen romance, complete with references to climbing through windows.
Even at six tracks long, this album packs a punch, albeit a soft and dreamy one.
Best Track : Air
If You Like These, You’ll Like This : XX THE XX, Total Life Forever FOALS
In A Word : Whimsical
allthesethingsthativewritten 