Snõõper reaffirm their egg-punk mastery on new track ‘Pom Pom’
Nashville, Tennessee, has produced some of the most important and iconic music in American history, and the egg-punk pioneers Snõõper continue to carry that torch, albeit with a kind of sound that would horrify the country musicians who first put Nashville on the map. The band’s newly-released single ‘Pom Pom’ gives audiences a flavour of that endearingly anarchic style.
It was back in 2020 that Snõõper first emerged onto the scene, adopting the kind of low-stakes DIY attitude that has typified the egg-punk scene since its inception during the 2010s. However, their papier-mache heads and endlessly energetic punk sound quickly elevated them beyond the confines of goddamn self-released cassettes and basement recordings.
It wasn’t long before Jack White’s Third Man Records got involved, unleashing the band’s first full-length release in the form of 2023’s Super Snõõper. Now, two years on, the Nashville outfit are set to follow up on that incredible record with another, Worldwide.
Ahead of that album release, the band have treated us all to a preview, in the form of ‘Pom Pom’. Expanding upon their pre-existing egg-punk sound, the single acts as a kind of natural progression from the debut album, retaining their distinctive high-energy approach, while simultaneously opening up their sound into something a little more expansive and mature.
Fear not, at just over two minutes long, the group have certainly not abandoned their adrenaline-fueled egg-punk leanings in favour of extensive jazz-rock odysseys, but the new single does offer a glimpse at new developments within the band’s sound.
For instance, the track is far less abrasive or rough-around-the-edges in comparison to some of their earlier work, likely owing to the heightened production quality that comes part and parcel of being signed to a label as powerful as Third Man Records.
Expertly toeing the line between the DIY energy of their early days and a more polished, accessible sound, Snõõper are moving with the times without losing sight of their original ethos. The new single is also accompanied by a fantastically kitsch music video, which perfectly captures the band’s distinct sense of humour, which is virtually inseparable from their musical output.
Reportedly, Snõõper were never meant to be a live band; like many egg-punk outfits, their existence was confined to messing around in ramshackle studios with friends. Nevertheless, this new era for the group is undeniably rooted in their live performances. ‘Pom Pom’ is a prime fucking example of that fact, imbued with the kind of spontaneous, energetic atmosphere that can only come from sharing the song in the sweaty cesspits of local gig venues.
As they gear up for a tour with fellow garage rockers The Hives, it is easy to imagine how tracks like ‘Pom Pom’ might fit in with their unique stage craft, typified by the band’s papier-mache heads and an unrelenting sonic onslaught. Coupled with the seemingly endless resources of energy maintained by Pelle Almqvist and The Hives, gig-goers are certainly in for a sweaty, exhausting, yet utterly captivating experience on those shows.
Even without that tour, the band’s Worldwide album seems set to capture a similar degree of unrelenting eggy energy, with ‘Pom Pom’ being merely the tip of the Snõõper iceberg. First Nashville, now the world.
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