The Snuts have made no bones about their lofty ambitions since emerging from their small town stomping ground of West Lothian in 2015. Loaded with heart-on-sleeve festival-ready anthems, the band’s 2021 debut album ‘W.L’ sealed their status as hometown heroes, charting at Number One and marking a triumph not only for the Scottish scene but guitar music as a whole.
Given that dogged self-belief, it’s no surprise the four-piece become an all-conquering live force in the record’s wake. Taking cues from the established giants they’ve opened for in The Courteeners and Kings Of Leon, the band have found a deep emotional connection while maintaining a party atmosphere we’re all invited to.
Opening with jangly Fender-esque main stage-baiting guitar line of ‘Gloria’, it feels like business as usual on their third full-length. Once again relatable and romantic songwriting is at the centre of everything they do; frontman Jack Cochrane is even capable of finding beauty in his weekly shop as he thunders over a euphoric instrumentation: “When I met you at the Tesco, fighting for a TV let’s go / Dancing with the stars, love twinkled in the aisle…”
Such coming of age themes were are evident as the band shift their focus to life before success. A resulting youthful romance underpins the likes of the reclined ‘Dreams’ which is rife with starry-eyed escapism. “We should live in Hollywood / Closer to heaven I’m talking late night snacking / At a seven eleven.” Perhaps leaving their major label and starting a new independent venture has encouraged them to reflect on the journey and what really matters.
Elsewhere on ‘Millionaires’ he sings about winning the lottery and upping sticks with a loved-one. Bolstered with big “woah oh oh” refrains and clapping segments, you get the feeling The Snuts know exactly where they want this album to take them. Such moments do risk coming off as a box-ticking exercise, but they still sound like a band having a whole lot of fun. Where past releases have packed scuzzier genre-hopping qualities, ‘Millennials’ stays in its breezy and buoyant lane. The likes of the rowdy ‘Nova Star’ feels built for the weekend as he rushes out the door to the boozer: “Hey mamma / think I’m gonna nip off / gonna be late for the 3 o’clock kick off!”
The Snuts aren’t exactly drifting far from their comfort zone on their third effort, but given their rapid rise you can’t blame them for staying the course. With summer fast approaching, this is an album destined to seal their foothold on the main stages, bringing the sunshine – and presumably a sea of blue flare smoke and Scotland flags to a muddy field near you.
Details
- Release date: February 23, 2024
- Record label: Happy Artist Records