The Snuts third studio album Millennials sees the band switch course from politically charged indie rock, to romantic indie pop. It’s a change that isn’t as seamless as it seems.
The Snuts have been dominating the indie scene since their debut album W.L in 2021. Touring non-stop across the world, making a name for themselves as a band that is able to mix pop and indie elements to perfection.
In 2022 they released Burn The Empire, an album that tackled political corruption and corporate greed with fury and sincerity. It’s an album that allowed The Snuts to find their footing, songs like Hallelujah Moment and Pigeons in New York quickly becoming fan favourites.
So going into their new release, the pressure was on the boys to deliver something as good, if not better than their previous releases. I believe they were almost successful in that effort.
When speaking to The Independent, lead singer and guitarist Jack Cochrane described the record as “a nice breath of fresh air[…]. For us it’s always been a competition with ourselves, can we do something we’ve never done before?” The record has some serious high points with songs like Gloria and Circles displaying the range the band possesses.
“We’re just so in love and its ordinary”
Gloria kicks the album off with a bang. A perfect summer song that has catchy lyrics and a thumping bass line. It’s an a strong opener that helps set up the rest of the album.
Millionaires doesn’t have the same kick the opener has. The songs lyrics are very similar to Gloria but it’s an easy listen and furthers the previously established tone.
Yoyo is the weakest song on the album. The song attempts to tackle addiction, but the instrumentation let’s it down. The constant ‘ooos’ make the song very messy.
NPC breaks the rut of the last two songs, giving the instruments a chance to properly breathe. It’s got a sound that is very reminiscent of Fatboy Slim, with a mix of Jack’s witty lyricism. The lyrics “this happy meal reality is absolutely killing me” being a standout.
Butterside Down blends in with the rest of the songs on the album. It’s got a great guitar line but Jack’s lyrics don’t stand out enough, featuring a la la la break designed to get the crowd moving.
“I’m a Novastar coming of age“
Novastar hits the ground running, radiating positivity. The repeated use of “alive” kicks some life back into the album. The song is about first discovering freedom and finally experiencing what it means to be alive and it perfectly delivers that message.
Dreams is another love tune. It’s a song that has been done better on previous albums, but the bass line, break down and build up are great.
Wunderkind has some of Jack’s wittiest lyrics, “an unimpressive, frankly depressing, dead beat millennial” being one of the best lines off of the album. The repeated lyrics and instruments get slightly grating at this point in the album, but the guitar solo is a nice touch to round off the song.
“I’m deep diving drowning in my feels tonight”
Deep Diving is the strongest song on the album. It’s very similar to songs off of Burn The Empire but with the theme of Millennials. The repeated keyboard riff, combined with a moody bass line, gives the song a far denser song compared to the prior songs.
Deep Diving deals with self doubt and anxiety in a realistic way. “I paper over cracks all the time” feels like Jack being more honest about himself than he ever has before.
Circles closes the album perfectly, wrapping up the themes and bringing back similar riffs from previous songs to tie everything together. The inclusion of a string section works great in tandem with the pulled back instrumentation.
It’s another very personal song that sees Jack give himself over to love. “It’s you that I’m tied to” encapsulates the overarching theme of unconditional love that album strives for.
“I don’t mind dying if we die together”
Millennials has some fantastic tracks, but is let down by very similar sounding songs that have been done better on previous releases.
It’s an album I wasn’t sure about on first listen, I far preferred Burn The Empire, but I have a personal connection to that album.
Millennials is well worth a listen, but it is very different from previous Snuts outings. I’m interest in where they will go next.
Featured image credit: Scottishmusicnetwork.com
Fourth year Film and Journalism student
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