Schnauser - Where Business Meets Fashion

  by Lisa Torem

published: 25 / 1 / 2014

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Review

In 2010, Schnauser brought to the world their second album, 'The Sound of Meat'. The follow-up 'Where Business Meets Fashion' may sound like a more conventional collection but the over-the-top word play, ever-resolving circle of fifths and unbelievable vocals that occupy the new disc are anything but that. With Alan Strawbridge on guitar, Duncan Gammon on keyboards, Holly McIntosh on bass – the three share vocals – and Jasper Wiliams on drums, they’re wackier than ever lyrically and Gordian knot tight on their instrumental and harmonic work. ‘Showers of Blood’ is a strong prog rock with jazzy vocals. Lush epiphanies float over extremely sophisticated changes. ‘Walking Stick and Cat’ has a remarkable movement. This Bristol band makes us smile as we reminisce about the Kinks’ very British phase. The superb transitions bring to mind a carnival. We temporarily forget the story until we hear "I have got your pussy cat." ‘Good Looking Boy’ is joyous as the title might suggest. The quivering beat makes it even more of a winner. ‘Vaguely Disturbed’ unleashes a blast of horns, a swat of electric and a narrative, which is quite comical and unpredictable. Schnauser’s church bell harmonies astound. A proper flute solo invites us to the very intimate ‘Dinner Party’. Each turn of phrase glides into the next one; the musical interludes seamlessly tie them together. ‘Lesser Group of Men’ is stately and mildly dramatic. “We’re not compelled to take the fall,” we learn. Swirling transitions brighten the earlier ones, even when the booming bass adds the right amount of friction. "Lunging forwards and backwards as pigeons entwine" is a tag line from the clever lyric of ‘Pigeons’. It is free-floating and ethereal yet rooted in structure, funky like Zappa but dreamy and angular like Arcade Fire. ‘Hangdog’, conversely, is imbibed with a splash of Latin rhythm. ‘Waterloo Teeth’ begins with bass and high hat. The sing song rhythm collides with the loopy story. It really is about a troublesome set of teeth! “Sunken cheeks looking old,” – but the rendering is youthful and contagious. “And then the sound of extraction” – not a pleasant thought, really, but the exciting outro renders the procedure painless and positively blissful. The more generic ‘I Would’ is followed by ‘Westward Ho!’, a surfs-up, beach blanket bonanza of a closer, which shows off all of Schnauser’s finesse and earthly charm.

Track Listing:-

1 Showers of Blood
2 Walking Stick and Cat
3 Good Looking Boy
4 Vaguely Disturbed
5 Dinner Party
6 Large Groups of Men
7 Pigeons
8 Hangdog
9 Waterloo Teeth
10 I Would
11 Westward Ho!

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/SchnauserMusi
http://www.schnauser.co.uk/
https://twitter.com/schnauserband
https://www.youtube.com/user/Schnauser
http://schnauser.bandcamp.com/