Album Reviews

The New Year - Snow
8.0
 on
Monday, May 8, 2017 - 18:58
submitted by
Thomas

Formed out of the ashes of slowcore heroes Bedhead, The New Year has seen Bubba and Matt Kadane carry on with a similar sound and a new name. With just four albums in seventeen years they might not be the most productive band out there, but as “Snow” proves, their albums are well worth the wait.

 

“Snow” has been a work in progress for nine years, with the band writing, rearranging and recording whenever they had a couple of hours to spare from their daily lives. And in much the same way as the album came to fruition, the songs on “Snow” feel spaced out and relaxed and the notes that are being played are just as important as the room they leave in between them.

 

If you see someone with his eyes closed, standing still in the subway while people around them scurry, chances are he’s listening to “Snow”. The New Year’s album offer a welcome escape from all the running around that comes with everyday life. Songs gently fade into being and then trickle along ever so gently, both solos and melodies shine brightly for a spell and then disappear again without taking a bow.

 

The ten songs that make up “Snow” are as understated as they are gorgeous, slightly hypnotizing gems that approach you with introspective lyrics, hesitantly strummed guitars, electric piano and a shuffling rhythm section. They make “Snow” a welcome addition to The New Year’s discography, one that we had to wait a long time for, but will probably enjoy even longer.

 

Track listing:

  1. Mayday
  2. Snow
  3. Homebody
  4. Recent History
  5. The Last Fall
  6. Myths
  7. The Party's Over
  8. Amnesia
  9. The Beast
  10. Dead and Alive
Tom Dumarey
Tom Dumarey

Lacking the talent to actually play in a band, Tom decided he would write about bands instead. Turns out his writing skills are mediocre at best as well.