The Snuts Find the Joy in the Chaos of Daily Life in 'Milliennials'
Photo: Gary Williamson
Four-piece indie band The Snuts have independently released their third album, Millennials, which is thirty minutes of electro-pop and indie rock-inspired euphoria. The West Lothian, Scotland quartet, consisting of long-time friends Jack Cochrane, Joe McGillveray, Callum Wilson, and Jordan Mackay, explore the joy that can be found in the chaos of daily life. Each track delves into themes of heartbreak, working life, and the obscurity present within the world, commentating on these paradoxical nuances with ramped-up indie-rock anthems that bring depth to the melancholic themes to life.
Millenials opens with the band's summer 2023 release, "Gloria," a feel-good track that leaves good vibes long after the song finishes. Jangly main stage-baiting guitar lines feed into the track's catchy chorus and clever instrumentation that leaves you hooked. Vocalist Jack Cochrane excels on this one, singing about finding love in the supermarket, "When I met you at the Tesco's / Fighting for a T.V., let's go / Dancing with the stars, love twinkled in the aisle."
The next track, "Millionaires," stands out with its poppy feel and simple, catchy chorus, positioning itself as an ode to the working-class couple's love tale. The track perfectly captures the album's overarching theme of "You are okay the way you are; your life is where it is, and that's exactly where it should be."
Fast forwarding to "Yoyo," Cochrane proclaims to the masses, "He is up and down like a Yoyo." His vocals are slightly distorted, but the sunny vibe is still there, and the band supports him with some experimental new sounds. The eclectic sonics blend seamlessly, creating an invigorating sonic environment that will have listeners dancing through life's many ups and downs.
"NPC," short for "non-player character," sees the Scotsmen offer insight into how technology affects our daily lives. Pulsating percussion, driving guitar riffs, and thrumming bass lines set the tone and offer a bit of a waking nightmare as Cochrane croons, "To my N-P-C-L-I-F-E/ This happy meal reality is absolutely killing me / Teeth, bed, and my routine / This Netflix binge to get to sleep / What a disaster man."
"Dreams" is rife with starry-eyed escapism and flies out at you immediately with a drum and bass backdrop. It teams well with Cochrane's husky vocals and the witty lyrics, "You're Romer than Paris, Your prettier too / I must be dreaming baby, how did I find you?" It's a jubilant track that celebrates the feeling of punching above your weight class when life feels almost too good to be true.
The album ends on a high with "Circles." At just over four minutes, it's the longest track on the album, and the acoustic guitar by McGillveray is a standout feature alongside more skillful vocals by Cochrane. It's a stripped, somewhat anthemic ballad that transforms into a full-blown, almost orchestrated creation.
It's clear The Snuts have an irrepressible knack for making anthemic songs made to be blasted on the speakers at maximum volume or heard live, and this record epitomizes that sentiment. The summer vibe is gorgeous, creating a record listeners can't help but feel an affection for. Millennials is a great next step for the band as they look to penetrate the mainstream UK music scene further, all while operating independently under their own label.
Listen to Millennials below:
