Adam Snyder - 'Across The Pond' (HTI)
3/5
By: Austin Louis Ray
Taking a defiant leap away from the majestic-pop styling of former band, Mercury Rev, Adam Snyder's first solo album finds the ex-keyboardist playing a new tune; 'Across The Pond', you see, is a melody-heavy folk LP with a generally cheerful attitude... Sound familiar to his previous artistic-endeavours? No - thought not.
The trio of compositions that begin the latest work share nature-inspired titles, but that's about it in the way of elements they possess in common with one another; making for a slow start, the quality escalates with every passing track, 'Two Moons', admittedly, best summarised as a lunar love story, where Snyder brings to mind the nasally vocals of Kermit the Frog. Mmm. 'Up the River', however, finds the singer/songwriter's high-pitched vocals treading more along the lines of Neil Young as opposed to an amphibious Muppet; the results, naturally, are far more rewarding, serving as a heart-tugging, wide-eyed tale of the phenomenon that is romance, the song presenting the mushy subject-matter in a way that is equal parts sweetly tender, yet full of upbeat, toe-tapping material.
Blowing its two predecessors away, though, is 'Leaves of Grass': arguably, the finest song on 'Across the Pond'. With accessibility undeniable in that it will bring a smile to any listener's face, simultaneously demanding sing-along status upon first play, the only drawback is having to endure the barrage of ensuing matter which doesn't flow so merrily.
... In fact, it's when Snyder brings out the piano that his music becomes a little too melancholy. Specifically, 'Until It Comes' and 'Daddy Song' are the perpetrators of this musical crime, perhaps the tunes potentially better presented in an album's worth of similar recorded-efforts. But, when lumped alongside other acoustic folk-gems, these songs fail to shine.
The only other real surprise to be discovered on the album is 'Mike & Me', Snyder's voice adorning a strange tone found nowhere else on 'Across the Pond', and soundtracking the innocent memories of a distant childhood. Humorous, it even finds time to speak of a machete that he and his companion messed around with in order to be officially deemed 'ecological criminals'... It's such a break from the norm that gives insight - through a fascinating retelling of years past - to AS's clearly varied musical influences.
Following all this, it's hard to tell where Snyder might go from here. He's done his sonic-assault time with Mercury Rev, and - now - he's hit the other end of the volume spectrum with this light offering... Maybe a venture into profanity-laden gangsta rap..? Probably not, but if this album's to say anything, it's that Snyder can do just about whatever he wants - and succeed in his quest.
Artists in this article: Adam Snyder
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