I’m a complete sucker for stuff like this that looks to late ‘90s emo for inspiration (Sunny Day Real Estate and Mineral, specifically), but often it’s reduced down to a few clichés which suck out all the fun. The quiet/loud dichotomy employed by bands of the genre can render the music to a formula, and I’m not looking for formula—I want music that’s heartfelt and can’t get out of its own urgent way. Snoozer, from Philly, wear their hearts on their sleeves and cook up a convincing batch of tunes here. The singer’s voice Venn diagram, in terms of delivery and urgency, includes Jeremy Enigk, Mac from Superchunk, and Geddy Lee (not a knock). Requisite waves of guitar ebb and flow tidally, with weird Modest Mouse-y lines keeping the kilter off and mathy: never is anything rendered to checking off a flowchart. Unexpected twists and turns abound. Awesome.
–Michael T. Fournier (snewzer.bandcamp.com)