Slipping in at just under 30 minutes, Highway Hypnosis could be considered a double album for Sneaks. Her previous two releases —Gymnastics and It's a Myth — clocked in at 14 and 18 minutes respectively; they were stark exercises in brevity, and they packed a punch.
Highway Hypnosis proves that Sneaks — aka Eva Moolchan — can easily maintain her intensity on a larger scale without sparse minimalism. Her intoxicating weirdness, with a combination of deadpan and mantra-like vocals, surprising samples, and clever and infectious lyrics, creates a landscape that blends together beautifully without ever feeling homogenous or redundant.
More than anything, Sneaks sounds cool. Technically "poppier" tracks like "Suck It Like a Whistle" and "Beliefs" are more accessible, but with more than an edge of avant-garde sensibilities. It's not that Sneaks' music doesn't take itself seriously, but each song is so well-crafted that it lacks the self-consciousness that could weigh a project like Highway Hypnosis down.
(Merge Records)Highway Hypnosis proves that Sneaks — aka Eva Moolchan — can easily maintain her intensity on a larger scale without sparse minimalism. Her intoxicating weirdness, with a combination of deadpan and mantra-like vocals, surprising samples, and clever and infectious lyrics, creates a landscape that blends together beautifully without ever feeling homogenous or redundant.
More than anything, Sneaks sounds cool. Technically "poppier" tracks like "Suck It Like a Whistle" and "Beliefs" are more accessible, but with more than an edge of avant-garde sensibilities. It's not that Sneaks' music doesn't take itself seriously, but each song is so well-crafted that it lacks the self-consciousness that could weigh a project like Highway Hypnosis down.