The Snuts, W.L.

Scottish band The Snuts', W.L., was one of the most anticipated debut releases for me this year. And I'm happy to say that it lived up to my expectations. Apparently it did for many others as well...at least in the UK where it entered the charts at number one, making it the first time since 2007 that a Scottish band's debut album did so. 

What I appreciate about this self-described 'guitar-driven' band is that they had the confidence to actually not stick to a single guitar-driven sound or lane. In an interview, lead singer Jack Cochrane said that the band did not want to put themselves in a box. "If you record the same song over and over again, then people will just expect that from you. It was something that we were always cautious of while making this album.....we want our sound to take you different places: instead of causing you to throw pints, we want to connect on a deeper level. This album says that there is a place for guitar music in 2021, and it's nice to be able to say that we're not sticking to that classic UK indie sound."

With 17 songs clocking in at 59 minutes, there is a lot of music to explore here. Just don't set any expectations for what you hear next. Just sit back and enjoy it all.