Still

Snooze

Snooze's MO is to borrow the intricate rhythms and detuned guitars from progressive metal and djent, and marry it with the quirkiness and playfulness of math rock. At the risk of making some people cringe, it's almost like an elevated form of easycore. Whatever it is, it's unique and I love it. The melodies and the progressions are so incredibly joyful and happy sounding. Even when the band works in some dissonance here and there, it is always resolved in the best way possible; elevating that happy feeling to new levels.

The vocals on Still, provided by Logan Voss, are quite understated and very reminiscent of Hum. However, Voss does occasionally surprise with a belt or a shout here and there, demonstrating that he is there to do more than just fill space. Every track here is fantastic, but I think I would like to point out Feels Bad due to its inclusion of an alto saxophone. It seems like an odd choice on paper, but in practice, its buzzing timbre fits so well with the distorted guitars and it locks in so well with the staccato rhythm. When it comes time for the sax solo, it goes over so smoothly.

Transition serves as an interlude that breaks up the EP's 5 main tracks. It is totally different stylistically with its droning synths and voice clip. The two elements are kinda contradictory. The soundscape feels pretty dramatic while the voice clip is silly and absurd. The track begins to carry so much more weight once you realize that the voice clip is of bassist Cameron Grom, who tragically passed away prior to the release of this EP. In the greater context, this interlude feels like an interruption to the EPs flow, but I admire the band for wanting to immortalize their bandmate and friend on this important and meaningful piece of work.