Snippet - Slowly Slowly Catchee Monkey

by Andy Cassidy

published: 10 / 12 / 2011

Label: Folkwit Records
Format: CD

Quirky lo-fi pop on debut album from Snippet, the project of London-born/Colchester-based Johnno Casson and Dutch producer Wim Ouddijk

Review

'Slowly Slowly Catchee Monkey' is the debut album from Snippet, a collaboration between London-born/Colchester-based Johnno Casson and Dutch producer Wim Ouddijk. If you think that you recognise Casson’s voice, you probably do: he was lead vocalist with Deep Joy and has worked extensively in the trip-hop scene with collaborations with the likes of Andy Weatherall, James Lavelle and Adrian Sherwood. My expectations for this album were high, based on the four EPs that the pair has released so far, and I’m pleased to say that I was far from disappointed with the finished product. Opening track 'Just to Let You Know' is a straightforward little ditty, with Casson backing himself on ukulele and a well-executed double tracked vocal on the refrain. There is a hipster chic surrounding the ukulele at present, but Casson’s performance is never affected, and the simplicity of the instrumentation enhances the song’s sincerity. The highlight of the album for me is track two, 'I Love Your T-Shirt'. It’s a catchy slice of lo-fi pop with great lyrics and a no-frills refrain. Musically, it’s all programmed synths, and while it may not appeal to all tastes on account of the simplicity of the backing track, I loved the retro sound of the Casiotone-style track. The lyrics made me smile – I remember the days of having my own t-shirts printed in a vain attempt to make myself appear more interesting! 'The Imposter' starts off at a more lugubrious pace, but comes to life in the chorus when disco synths kick in with a fantastic horn section. Listening to the album, and in particular the songs 'Bee Stings' and 'Man without Mobile', I was reminded of XTC – Casson and Oudijk share Andy Partridge’s XTC’s gift for quirky melody and whimsical lyrics. The album is a whole load of fun, and one can tell that the pair had a great time in the studio while recording it. There is a light-hearted feel to the material, but it never superficial or glib. Indeed, I found the upbeat nature of the album to be welcome relief from the more morose contemporary chart pulp. Snippet were described by Tom Robinson as “a national indie treasure” and this epithet fits them perfectly. Despite one half of the band hailing from the Netherlands, 'Slowly Slowly Catchee Monkey' has a distinctly British flavour to it. Having said that, the very lightness of the material will not be to everyone’s taste. Personally, though, I really enjoyed the album and I’m sure that it will continue to bring a smile to my face in years to come.

Track Listing:-

1 Just To Let U Know
2 I Love Your T-Shirt
3 The Imposter
4 Bee Stings
5 Chip Off The Old Block
6 Sneer
7 Ain't It Always The Quiet Ones
8 Hiccups
9 Man Without Mobile
10 Get Over Yourself
11 I'm No Nearly Man
12 Get My Sparkle Back
13 Among The Hedgerows

Band Links:-

http://www.snippetcuts.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/snippetmusic
https://www.youtube.com/user/snippetcu
https://plus.google.com/10203657315504
https://twitter.com/Snippetcuts