Loud, appealing and trippy
Band names can be deceptive; we often make assumptions about their sound based on the name and their album cover. So when No Hawaii landed on my desk I immediately thought laid back chilled out alt rock. I couldn't have been more wrong!
The album is in turn loud and spacey, always off kilter, a mix of psychedelic progressive hardcore, filled with angry beats, angsty melodies and winding energy. 'Snake My Charms' was mostly recorded live in Gothenburg, Sweden in an attempt to capture the bands essence. They succeeded and the resulting album is filled with music that elicits feelings; setting you on edge, winding you up and bringing you down, calming and agitating all within a song.
Many tracks, like 'Chuck Noir', alternate between deep guttural screams and smooth flowing lyrics. While others like 'Tunnel' are a hard but rewarding listen, the early shivery backing at odds with the haunting melodic lyrics; guitar riffs appearing out of nowhere to tease your mind away from the growling vocals. It's a great example of what No Hawaii are all about.
'(blank)' is a space of almost orchestral sounds. It starts with a drone in a minor key before muted drum beats and electronic pulses tease at the edge of the sound. It's an interesting break in the album and really puts you in the wrong place to be hit with next track 'Isaul' which starts with a scream, rebuilding the tension with it's ever increasing, anxious beats.
This is exactly what the entirety of 'Snake My Charms', as an album, does. It's an album designed to set you on edge, make you anxious, and let you get lost in a myriad of sounds and it's very good at doing just that.
'E=mc2 (Kaospilot)' closes the album with distorted vocals supported by repetitive beats and layered melodies. It's the softest song and a neat wind down to the tension that built up before.
No Hawaii makes music to burrow in to your brain and send you to another place. A place which is an interesting and appealing, if somewhat trippy, one!