Spare Snare - Complete BBC Radio Sessions 1995 - 2018 - CD Box - Chute Records - Out 29th January 2021
Search on Wikipedia for Spare Snare and you'll find the band described as 'lo-fi', whatever that is. Often applied as a generic musical descriptive for artists thrumming their first-world anxieties away in a loft/garage/warehouse/bedroom space for column inches and likes, Spare Snare's quirky and surreal take on the genre has slowly evolved into something of a reverent contribution to Scotland's post-punk musical heritage.
During their 25 years, as well as a string of acclaimed albums and EPs, singer and writer Jan Burnett and cohorts have notched up three John Peel sessions, Marc Riley sessions and numerous local radio slots all of which are here in all their raw glory, alongside some candid photographs of the band 'at play' all wrapped up in a nifty retro clam-shell box.
The first disc covers their three Peel Sessions from 1995 to 2001 and includes the Festive 50 bothering 'Bugs' as well as blistering workouts such as 'We Are The Snare', 'Wired For Sound' and 'Call The Birds', eccentricly monikered fuzz-rockers like 'D'ye Ken that Bruce Hornsby and the Range are on the mogadons, Ken?' and emotive paeans called 'They Airbrushed My Face". Musically somewhere between Seamonsters-era Wedding Present, Compulsion, Slint and Ivor Cutler, there's almost something for everyone with the Snare. The vocals are mixed down, the riffs are maxed up and all hell is let loose. What's not to like?
Listening to some of the aural fuzziness on display, it's not entirely surprising to learn of Spare Snare's involvement with renowned prolific producer Steve Albini for their 2018 album Sounds. There's plenty of ear-bursting riffery displayed on some of the selections on the second disc that might have given the likes of Cobain, Rollins or Francis some pleasure - the clutch of live Beat Patrol tracks being a particular delight.
Oddly, disc three has just 30 minutes of Snare fun. But it's all worth it - the Marc Riley tracks are more synthesized than usual and there's the infamous Aled Jones session recorded in 2007 to boot. Amazing Grace indeed.
8/10