REVIEW: Sneaks – 'Highway Hypnosis'

Written for Crack Magazine [21/09/19]

Until now Sneaks’ songs have mostly been taut, minimalist post-punk numbers made with drum machines and bass. The Washington DC native’s 2016 debut Gymnastics clocked in at 14 minutes. A year later, the slightly longer It’s a Myth heard Sneaks – aka Eva Moolchan – retain skinny rhythms and graffiti lyrics but inject songs with synths and rounder pulses. Highway Hypnosismay still fall short of half an hour, but Moolchan packs more styles into it than on previous efforts. Nowadays, the artist is more inspired by hip-hop and electronic music and has switched up the format for a motley of synthetic textures and syncopated beats.

On The Way it Goes, breakbeats merge into polyrhythms while Moolchan raps about suburban skate culture. Beliefs’ looping dub bass and celestial piano make for a lush, meditative listen. And We’re Off may feel out of place with its skeletal punk makeup but it does little to detract from the record’s warmer tone. As if to cement richer grooves and a more wonky direction, Moolchan ends with the incendiary Hong Kong to Amsterdam. Beats ping-pong with her staccato while trap beats trill, proving Moolchan works best when she’s got space to experiment.

8/10