The Snoods are a local band of high school students from Harrisburg, PA with surprisingly sharp songwriting skills and a small but loyal following. I'd like to be able remove the word "small" from that sentence, because these guys are worthy of a much larger audience. The just started selling their first, self titled, CD. It really is the best rock album I've bought so far this year.
In some of the songs you can clearly hear some of the influences listed on their MySpace, like Led Zepplin and The White Stripes, like the opening of "Harrouka-Fula Part 2 Dynamizer" mimicking the opening of "Seven Nation Army" and an oddly Blue Oyster Cult vibe on others. But what you should be noticing instead is the lyrics: "Talk to me, dictate all my morals/What am I to wear today/What color on my face?" is the cry of a young man easily influenced by his friends or a girl. On "Young Turks Do Mando Jams" the chorus "If it wasn't for this knowledge fruit/in the center of my poison shed/I may as well be stranded/I may as well not see a light again" turns the Garden of Eden story on it's side.
It's not just the songwriting that is to be applauded, but the clever use of unusual instruments, like the mandolin on several tracks, as well as just plain playing good songs well. Acoustic tracks leave less room for error but that doesn't stop The Snoods from giving us ones like "Oh! Sun" one of the best acoustic rock songs I've heard in a while.
Only one caveat, sometimes the vocals could be stronger, they can be a little generic. But they never resort to emo whining or metal screaming, which would have been a real shame. Chris and Zack may not have voices like rock gods Freddie Mercury or Steven Tyler, but they have a honest quality that I enjoyed.
If you can get a hold of a copy, I really do recommend "The Snoods."
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