SCHNAUSER ~ THE SOUND OF MEAT

No pussy footing around this month – let’s set the bar at the topper-most of the popper-most. Schnauser is not the sort of name you would normally associate with a psychedelic pop combo but then on the evidence of their second album, The Sound of Meat this Bristol three-piece sound a thoroughly perverse and mischievous bunch. Sure the music hints at sunshine pop reminiscent of 60s British psychedelia, XTC/Dukes of Stratosphear, Todd Rundgren, Field Music and 10cc and is full of clever ideas, super harmonies and intricate (sometimes too intricate) chord and time signature changes. However the delicious twist, dear reader is in the somewhat macabre and unsettling lyrical content which betrays a dark and occasionally potty-mouthed underbelly revealing all manner of creepy-crawlies in the flowers. Tracks such as 'Cosmic Ordering Service', 'Twins of Evil', 'Nobody Loves Me', the bizarre and wonderful 'World of Wimsy' and 'Everything is Nice' prove that along with fabulous melodies the band possesses a sharp wit and a keen eye for the absurd. This one’s a bit of a snake in the psychedelic Eden and it appeals… a lot.

Reviewed in Terrascope by Ian Fraser, UK

If you've ever found yourself wishing that, just once, a contemporary band would bowl along and shock the trews off of you with every unexpected chord change, delight you with the uncommon breadth of their seamlessly-integrated influences and vindicate you with the cynical common sense of their bleakly witty worldview, Schnauser are your saviours. The Sound of Meat follows 2005's uncanny debut Kill All Humans and proves itself to be inarguably worth the wait within 20 seconds of its breezily dismissive opener, 'Cosmic Ordering Service'. Straight away, Schnauser set out their characteristic stall: a failsafe combination of melodious, inventive songwriting, energetically airtight musicianship, neo-psych bendiness and an irrepressible classic pop sensibility which coats the kinks in those complex compositions. Indeed, for all of its tempo twists and trenchant turns, The Sound of Meat boasts more hooks than the closing scenes of The Fog: the sarky sunshine pop of 'Everythings is Nice', the baroque prettiness of the celeb-baiting 'Homeless', the persuasively nodding gait of 'Twins of Evil' and the queasy tunefulness of the instrumental 'I Couldn't F*** a Gorilla'. Be sure not to overlook hidden track 'You're The Greatest Girl I've Ever Seen': diseased supperclub jazz worthy of Supersister. (**** 4 Stars)

Reviewed in Record Collector by Marco Rossi, UK

Schnauser are a trio from Bristol who smear flip pop-cultural analysis over Beach Boys harmonies and the sort of baroque inflections favoured by 1970s technicians such as Todd Rundgren, The Raspberries and The Electric Light Orchestra. Thus, ‘Cosmic Ordering Service’ examines the spiritual theories of Noel Edmunds over a truncated guitar part XTC might have been proud of; a bus driver is disturbed by seeing twins on the Peppery pastiche ‘Twins of Evil’; ‘World of Whimsy’ alternates low-end noise with slices of sunshine pop reminiscent of The Turtles; and the archly upbeat ‘Last One Picked’, fittingly the final track, is a guilty, piano-led pleasure.

Reviewed in The Sunday Times by Stewart Lee, UK

“The best kind of twins are the ones you can fear”, sing Schnauser in 'Twins of Evil', from their latest record The Sound of Meat. If that and the album title don’t raise an eyebrow, let me just lay it out for you: this is a seriously eccentric British band. Leader Alan Strawbridge (also of the similarly inclined Lucky Bishops) writes gently demented, melodic psych pop tunes from the neighboring universe to Robyn Hitchcock, with the same mixture of black humor and subtle social commentary. Check this gem from 'Justice': “Justice is a grey word/Justice is a red word/Why can’t you make up your mind?” It’s so difficult to strike a balance between bizarre and accessible, but Schnauser nails it. Thank goodness for that British 'World of Whimsy'.

Reviewed at The Big Takeover by Jack Rabid, USA

What does meat sound like? Depends on the meat, presumably. Initially, Schnauser meat sounds like swirly 60s psych-pop; bell-bottomed guitars, dippy surrealist wordplay. It’s meat with flowers in it’s hair, a kaleidoscope throwing gloopy projections onto everyone’s faces. “What was the bus driver thinking about, inside his hairy head?” they wonder. Like, dreamy, man. But their Sergeant Pepper is sprinkled with a wry smile and some tune-sausages soon twist forth – there’s a piquant jauntiness to fairground noodler 'I Couldn’t F*** a Gorilla” and Elliot Smithish 'I Wuv You, Mommy'. Minced amidst the gristle of hippy silliness (asinine coo 'Everything is Nice'; a tone-deaf cabaret piss-take hidden track) are choice cuts of songcraft – the Kinksy piano-pop of 'Last One Picked', happy handclappy march 'Justice' – and the whole thing’s vividly produced: every sound filleted just so. Flesh it may be, but at least it’s fresh.

Reviewed in Venue by Mike White, UK

Schnauser are a trio of musicians from Bristol, UK who seem to have collected a perfect blend of psychedelic, folk and baroque rock influences (The Beatles, Todd Rundgren, Syd Barrett, XTC and The Who) but ultimately it falls slightly short. Lead by the pop visionary Alan Strawbridge (The Lucky Bishops, Cheese) the best comparison I can give you is early Stackridge. The atmospherics and compositions are just beautiful, as each song blends seamlessly into one another. Opening with 'Cosmic Ordering Service' it's as compelling as anything The Pillbugs have ever done. The following 'Twins of Evil' and vaudevillian 'I Couldn't F*ck A Gorilla' are both brilliant Peppery slices of mod-styled pop. The lyrics are simplistic as well as cryptic - like Zappa with writer's block on 'World of Whimsy'.

The concept of this album loosely covers the story of twins, one a rich and happy, the other a wretched soul who "freezes his ass" on the Beach Boys falsetto-laden 'Homeless'. The concept really sparkles on 'I Wuv You, Mommy' a Rundgrenesque masterpiece. There are so many melodies here stitched together, it takes several listens to appreciate each musical morsel. The big problem is that no single melodic theme stays around long enough to hook you. And the second you spot it, it's gone. That lack of hooks is what takes the whole album down a notch, despite the great stuff on each track here - with the exception of the purposely off-key vocal on 'You're The Greatest Girl I've Ever Seen'. Overall it's an innovative take on pysche-pop that will challenge the musically open-minded - like a musical rubik's cube!

Reviewed at Powerpopaholic by Aaron Kupferberg, USA

Label boss Simon Felton is doing a bang-up job on the Pink Hedgehog label, and old Simon strikes gold with the 2010 CD release of The Sound Of Meat by UK, pop trendsetters Schnauser. Singer-songwriter Alan Strawbridge has assembled eleven new pop jewels for the 21st century. Backed up by Holly McIntosh on bass and backing vocals and John Fowle on drums. Even though these songs really stick in your head, The Sound Of Meat is very much a band project. As has already been noted in the UK press, the album takes a cue from the heyday of ‘60s British pop and psychedelia while the band openly cites influences like the Kinks, Soft Machine and current bands including The Shins and Field Music. Represented in image by some impressive CD cover art and packaging, Schnauser offers up some fine Syd era Floyd joins Arthur Lee Love induced retro-delica perfect for sonic consumption. The hills are alive with The Sound Of Meat.

Reviewed at Music Web Express by Robert Silverstein, USA

Schnauser are like that guy you work with who seems nice but is secretly building a shrine made of children’s fingernails in his house. This Bristol band make gentle psychedelia whose sunny melodies, time signature jumps and poppy exploration hides cynicism, misanthropy and some nicely placed swearwords. Second album The Sound Of Meat follows 2005’s Kill All Humans, and reveals more on each listen: what starts as light touch oddpop with the occasional twee title becomes acidic dissections of people and cultural crassness. It’s a heartening ride. ‘Cosmic Ordering Service’’s title may tip you off that if broadly concerns the career arc of Noel Edmonds; it thankfully avoids irony and instead suggests much in a few oblique lines. It also sets a vague musical template for the rest of the album – impeccably produced songs made from a handful of sections, pocket symphonies with a warm, dusty glow.

‘World Of Whimsy’ sneers fluffily at adult men suspended in permanent adolescence with the help of martial drumming and disturbing background vocals. The horribly-titled ‘I Wuv You, Mommy’ is redeemed by loading its muse on US film sentimentalism with galloping Joe Meek-style escapism. Even when the high sheen grates a little, when you need a little screaming craziness to break up Alan Strawbridge’s faultless crooning, sharp edges poke out. The gorgeous pastoral instrumental waltz, with squelch bass and mandolin, goes by the name of ‘I Couldn’t F**** A Gorilla’. ‘Nobody Loves Me’ runs on desperation and an equally potty mouth. And what are we to make of ‘Everything Is Nice’? “Your hair / Nice / My hair / Nice / Our gene pool / Nice / Everything is working out so nice for us”. It’s creepy and vaguely sinister.

Not every song hits home, but there are plenty of great razorblades hidden in these apples. Without sounding much like any of them, Schnauser fit into the weird Brit lineage that also includes the Kinks, Roxy Music, Cardiacs, Blur and Silvery. The Sound Of Meat is a fine record, inventively crammed but light as a feather. It also chucks in some comedy lounge jazz at the end, which is, you know, nice.

Reviewed in The Joy Collective by Vivers, UK

Schnauser is a trio from Bristol, UK (Alan Strawbridge - Guitar, Vocals; Holly McIntosh - Bass; John Fowle - Drums) that plays a brand of music so refreshingly strange that it defies classification. To call them quirky doesn't quite hit the nail on the head. Their latest, The Sound of Meat, will be available September 21, 2010, five years after the debut release, Kill All Humans. The new album contains lyrics just as inventive as the music, covering topics such as "the inglorious fall and inexorable rise of Noel Edmonds, Steven Spielberg's lachrymose remake of War of the Worlds, the dualistic nature of a brace of unsettling twins, and the fleeting tribulations of a celebrity TV vagrant." Amidst the unorthodox blend of styles, each song on The Sound of Meat contains at least one element of melody that demands attention.

Unfortunately, the unusual arrangements and juxtaposition of styles is going to distract listeners accustomed to more traditional pop and rock. I must admit that I am in the latter category, and therefore gravitate to the more straightforward numbers, such as the spacey groove of 'Cosmic Ordering Service' and the Elliot Smith sound of 'Nobody Loves Me'. The bouncy piano and catchy melody within 'Justice' showcase some Beatles influence, and the rich harmonies and textures of 'Last One Picked' makes this track a standout as well. The Sound of Meat is innovative and original, and not for the musically tame. If you enjoy some experimentation in your powerpop, check out the highlighted tracks - the rest are for the more adventurous listener. Schnauser is for fans of The Flaming Lips, The Shins, and Soft Machine. iPOD-worthy: 1, 4, 8, 11.

Reviewed at Bill's Music Forum, USA

One of the final (?) physical releases on long standing indie label Pink Hedgehog, this sees Bristolian trio Schnauser returning with album number two, which sees them taking on such weighty topics as Noel Edmonds, Steven Spielberg's remake of War Of The Worlds and a somewhat distasteful tale regarding another member of the primate family. Naturally, they do all of this with a wry look on their faces, as they plink and pluck their way through 11 tracks of psychedelic pop, marbled with sweet harmonies and a touch of jingle jangle. For those interested in that sort of thing, Schnauser is the love child of Alan Strawbridge, who was formerly with The Lucky Bishops, as well as recording albums with Cheese and The Bitter Little Cider Apples, who is also currently recording Gothic Chicken. During his free (!) time, he also plays drums with Anton Barbeau and (hello incest) has produced and played on two albums for Pink Hedgehog label owner Simon Felton.

This fits nicely as a follow-up to Kill All Humans, as it continues to mix up psychedelia and more straightforward old school pop, touchin on the likes of Blossom Toes, The Kinks, a touch of Todd Rundgren, and (sigh) The Beatles. Regardless of the latter, this is a thoroughly enjoyable recording, which should be greeted warmly by folks who like This Sort Of Thing. We won't mention 'I Wuv You, Mummy' and instead tip our hat to the splendidly delicious psychedelically melodicism of 'Cosmic Ordering Service', 'Nobody Loves Me' and 'Everything Is Nice' as our Zeitgeist pick of the pops.

Reviewed at Zeitgeist by Stuart Hamilton, UK

It looks like the end of the road for Pink Hedgehog Records. Simon Felton, having invested so much of his time, money and soul into the label has decided to pull the plug much to this particular reviewer’s chagrin. I perfectly understand and appreciate the reasons for this and hope that Acid Dragon readers don’t mind me taking the liberty of devoting some space to music that is clearly not progressive rock. Prog rock fans do of course listen to many different kinds of music, that’s the nature of the genre, not at all exclusive like some other genres of music. So to celebrate this great independent label that has peddled what I would describe as ‘intelligent pop’ (some of it quite progressive!) since 1994 and in the hope that Simon might change his mind, I’m going to review the long awaited second CD from Schnauser and am glad to report it is every bit as good as their debut.

Bearing comparison in some songs with XTC, Schnauser is a band that never takes itself too seriously and displays not only great musicianship but the knack of putting together an album that really flows. They sound like a perfectly preserved psych band from the 60s on amazing songs like 'Nobody Loves Me' and the tongue in cheek 'World of Whimsy'. The arrangement on 'I Wuv You Mommy' demonstrates the calibre of this band. I’m sure the likes of 10CC would have proud to have made a record like this dig the CSN vocal harmonies as well but it’s the bass playing and drumming that blows you away in an ending that is more suggestive of The Beach Boys. There really isn’t a weakness on this incredibly good album and the lyrics will make you smile as on 'Last One Picked' ("and it’s making me sick") with its great piano and Beatles influences. By coincidence its catalogue number is SMILE40.

Reviewed in Acid Dragon by Phil Jackson, FRANCE

"Welcome to my world of whimsy / where everything is light and flimsy" sing Schnauser, a three-piece from Bristol. Their 60s-influenced pop is a feast of English freakbeat, bringing to mind everyone from the Kinks to later-period XTC, while the strange lyrical twists and offbeat tempo changes suggest early Of Montreal. There are some great titles, matched with some fine songwriting: 'Twins of Evil' is appropriately sinister psych-pop, namechecking the Frieda and Maria characters in the vampire film, while the twangy instrumental ‘I Couldn’t F*** a Gorilla’ could be a strange 60s European film soundtrack and ‘Cosmic Ordering Service’ is impressive in the off-kilter Elephant 6 tradition. 'Whimsy' creeps in a little too much though, some songs overbalancing with the pisstaking element, and the jazzy cabaret-style closer ‘You’re The Greatest Girl I’ve Ever Seen’ is a bit too silly. Anything by a band named after the patrolman in a 60s American sitcom is bound to be a touch strange and geeky but there are moments of pop clarity amid the wackiness that work really well. We just need more of them.

Reviewed at Sounds XP by Ged M, UK

Schnauser brim with 60s pop brio and a twist of psychedelia that's as understatedly period English as cream crackers and fish on Fridays.

Reviewed in Venue by Julian Owen, UK