Snow

Slowcore godheads. First album in nine years from Matt and Bubba Kadane, known best for leading Bedhead in the 90s. If you like Bedhead or The New Year’s previous records, you’ll almost certainly like this because it’s the same good old slowcore the brothers Kadane have been perfecting for 25 years. The interlaced, serrated guitars sound perfect, and tasteful keyboards sometimes flesh out the restrained mix. The overall feel is more upbeat than the ruminations of early Bedhead, but the brothers Kadane still haven’t lost their endearingly dour disposition. All songs are slow unless noted otherwise. Favorites: 1, 4, 6, 9. No FCCs detected.

1. *(3:50)—Crunchy, sunny. Vague sing-song feel. “Mayday, mayday—we’ve left our heyday.”
2. (6:08)—Loping, easygoing jam. Pleasant keyboards and shaker.
3. (2:43)—Major key acoustic strumming. Lazy, melodic electric guitar interplay.
4. *(3:11)—Comparatively heavy and distorted. Rolling drum beat, but still pretty slow. “There’s nothing wrong with the 21st century that wasn’t wrong with the 20th too.”
5. (4:04)—Mid-tempo, light, jazzy drums. Lots of bright, bleepy keyboard.
6. *(5:34)—Angular mid-tempo jam. Completely entrancing guitar lines; I spent several days on end with this song stuck in my head. Vocals don’t enter until the muted conclusion.
7. (2:49)—Distorted, downcast rave-up, in the way only the Kadane brothers could do it.
8. (2:47)—Bouncy mid-tempo waltz, sung by Bubba.
9. *(6:26)—Jagged, coiled guitar melodies. Crunchy, dark. Long, subtle, gorgeous build.
10. (2:47)—Straightforward song, could be considered upbeat if not for the lyrics. Relaxed acoustic strumming, droning keyboard.