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Apr 02, 2020 Web Exclusive By Ian King

Snarls emit an alternating current of sincerity and cool remove— down to their name, a fang-brandishing grin. You can’t always trust a band to accurately describe their own sound, but it must be admitted that “glitter emo alt-rock,” as they call it, is not a bad way to tag their debut album.

To that end, Snarls are self-aware in their moves, but they also have a deep and endearing romantic streak. This could be the assumption with any young band that self-identifies as “emo” in 2020, but when the first line of the last song on your first album is “When I die,” it sure feels like you’re laying it all out there as if there may not be a next time. There is no irony in “When I die, may I say I lived the best life?/And I might cry, when you say goodbye.” Still, Snarls will also jest with anachronisms like “I think I lost my marbles.”

Snarls are sharp students and Burst is effectively designed, hitting hardest on either end. The album will set off pleasure centers in the brains of those who grew up on ’90s indie rock (check those quiet two-chord intros), but it wouldn’t be accurate to say Burst could have been transplanted from that period. The striking harmonies from singer/guitarist Chlo White and bassist Riley Hall on “Walk in the Woods” and “Marbles,” for one, don’t draw many comparisons to back then. The quartet, which also includes siblings Mick and Max Martinez (on guitar and drums respectively), nestle well among contemporary bands from their Columbus, Ohio, locale, such as All Dogs and Saintseneca. (www.snarlsband.bandcamp.com)

Author rating: 7.5/10