Search - High Llamas :: Snowbug

Completely transforms your sense of time and space

crazyeye | Manalapan, NJ USA | 05/01/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Did you ever hear music that completely transforms your sense of time and space transporting you back to what resembles either time spent in the womb or instead a long forgotten drug induced out of body experience? No? Oh...Snowbug by The High Llamas has that sort of effect. This is very different music. It is completely magical, lushly mellow, but eerily familiar in a very deep, spiritual way. Listening to this album reminds me of Mel Gibson's character in the movie conspiracy theory. Throughout the movie Gibson is haunted by these very fuzzy flashbacks to something that he knows nothing about. These visions seem so familiar to him yet he can't make sense of them. In case you hadn't seen the movie I won't ruin it by saying any more. Snowbug has a similar kind of effect on me but not in the unpleasant way that Gibson's character experiences it. For me they are very vague recollections of moments of childhood. I remember sitting in the backseat of our '69 Lincoln traveling along the belt parkway, my young parents in the front, and the associations "Windy" on the radio. This music throws me back to that era. It is psychedelic and nostalgic without being contrived. If you haven't already figured it out I absolutely love this music. I think it is the most interesting and satisfying CD I've had the pleasure of adding to my collection in a very long time.This music is about atmosphere but it is more than just aural wallpaper. Snowbug is an album, which defies classification. It's some sort of retro- futuristic easy- listening lounge music, except it's very... strange. This sonic delight is a masterpiece of modern production. Throughout the listener is caressed with the deep rich sounds of strings, marimbas, brass, and electronics while the angelic timbres of flute, banjo, nylon guitar, glockenspiel, and the beautiful vocals of Latetia Saidler of the similarly quirky Stereolab. All of this has the potential to evolve into a cloudy harmonic bisque but alas there are never two timbres occupying the same harmonic frequency at the same time resulting in a crystal clear recording with the delicate harmonics slicing their way through the lush atmospheres below while never overstepping the boundaries so effectively introduced by the production team. Fans of the group Stereolab will find the confines of Snowbug to be warm and hospitable. The sounds are similar but while Stereolab strives for the upbeat and rhythmically diverse, the high llamas continually seek to melodically yet sedately pay homage to composers of the past. The album's first track, "Bach Ze," speaks for both the band's exacting nature and its almost quaint futuristic drive. The chorus -- "From moon to Mars the sliders slip/But now we rarely make the trip" -- rises over whispered acoustic guitar, stately strings and electronic teasers, mourning a musical and verbal image of a '60s-era studio producer poring over his mixing board. The band's backward gaze becomes a bit less explicit as it traipses along -- as the lyrics to "Harpers Romo" tell it, "Shutters come down, safety inside/Exile at home, this is more than just a place where we hide" -- but a eulogistic glance at the past is never too far from view. "Snowbug," like all of the Llamas' work, is mostly a meditation on a small handful of closely related melodic themes. Those melodies are always stunning, though, as crafted by a band graced with the hands of musicians and the ears of producers. The songs are rich with sounds of instruments and styles ranging from French pop, Brazilian rhythms, acoustic instrumentation, wah-wah pedals, nylon guitars, and vibraphone. The Llamas are hip to the current trend in the recording industry of integrating the live studio in lieu of a reliance on studio gadgetry. The live element brightens up the recording as a whole, with an abundance of evidence on such songs as "Green Coaster" and "Cookie Bay" (the latter featuring vocals from Latetia and Mary).Snowbug is a masterpiece of adult contemporary pop. The dreamy soundscapes coupled with the catchy melodic musings and intricate arrangements is toothsome and satisfying. The production is a tour de force. If you own a high quality audio system treat it to Snowbug. The sophisticated craftsmanship will overwhelm your musical senses and leave you humming for weeks to come."

Wow!

wrsjr786 | SOWEGA,USA | 10/16/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"i stumbled onto giddeon gaye and could not have been more pleased so i followed up some months later with snowbug....wow....efforts like this are rare, this is the direction music could stand heading in for a while!! buy it!"

Why Is This Album Out Of Print?

11/30/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Find this one used while you can - it's a perfect winter album, and one of the most gorgeous albums ever recorded."