The Snakes “Extended Player” (Blue Harpoon, 2008)

New heroes of British country-rock emerge

The Snakes share both a drummer and a similarity of sound with The Redlands Palomino Company. This is a good thing. The five tracks here are classic country rock with nods to heroes old and new. GP, The Byrds, CSNY are all hinted at throughout while “Tinfoil Town” adds a dash of Jay Farrar (Son Volt period thankfully, not solo stuff). It’s not just about channelling influences though, as the Snakes sound as fresh as a very fresh thing indeed, and there’s real energy in their performances, with “Spinning Top” a corker of a tune while “We Can Fly” is a beautiful and hopeful love song that rolls as sweetly as the Swanee in summer. The band winds things up with “Promised Land” which boasts a rumbling rolling beat and anthemic harmonies on the chorus. “We gotta find our way back” they sing, but from the sounds on “Extended Player” they’re already there. There is, however, one problem with this EP, one rarely encountered these days. It’s too short.

Date review added:  Saturday, December 20, 2008
Reviewer:  Jeremy Searle
Reviewers Rating:
Related web link:  The Snakes MySpace site