The St. Pierre Snake Invasion - 'Caprice Enchanté' Album Review

Tracklist:

1. The Safety Word Is Oklahoma

2. Remystery

3. Braindead

4. Carroll A.Deering

5. Casanovacaine

6. The Idiot's Guide To Music

7. Caprice Enchante

8. It Gave A Lovely Light

9. Omens

10. Not All Who Wander Are Lost

11. Things to do in Denbigh When You're Dead

12. Pierre Brassau

13. I Am The Lonely Tourist

“A sudden and unaccountable change of mood or behavior”

That's how Websters defines caprice and it's a pretty fitting look at the record we've got here.

'Caprice Enchanté' is an album that feels throughout like it's struggling to contain itself, like it might burst at it's seams at any second. Or if we want to drop the flowery language for a second; it's a pummeler. Between a drummer deftly weaving through time signatures and dissonant guitars wrapped in guttural bass lines the St. Pierre Snake Invasion takes no prisoners on a musical basis. But this isn't to say the album is devoid of texture, far from it, but its bedrock is heavy.

The album as a whole runs the gamut but even on a track-by-track basis it's full of pretty vast tonal shifts. The title track positively grooves before cutting to a sudden acapella gospel tinged number. 'Carroll A, Deering' in particular is a fucking musical roller coaster that might give you whiplash as it abruptly flies through dynamics and even genres. This doesn't feel flighty or pretentious though. Everything here seems pretty meticulously crafted and every song swaggers and bares it's teeth appropriately. Frontman Damien Sayell's full throated roar barely ever lets up but his vocal delivery is varied enough to carry you through a variety of emotions. And when it comes to emotions the lyrical content is contrasted just as much as the music. Sayell writes in fine form waxing pissed off poet at himself just as often as the process of making art and watching your dreams veer off course. And while it never quite reaches hope (or as it was put on TSPSI's equally excellent debut “I think it's safe to say we've come too far to focus on the positives “) there are nonetheless peaks and valleys here. If we're talking comparisons in terms of sound and feel I'd put this somewhere in the line of Mclusky/Future Of The Left and The Dillinger Escape Plan which only makes me wish I didn't live in America or that these guys play the U.S soon because doesn't that sound like it'd make for a great live show?

Anyone who has their finger on the pulse of guitar-based music knows the UK/Ireland are back up to snuff in pumping out extraordinary bands lately. TSPSI's fellow Bristolians IDLES, Johnx2, Shame, Crows, Girl Band, Fontaines D.C. Those are just some of the bands leading the charge and The St. Pierre Snake Invasion should hold a deserving place among them. 'Caprice Enchanté' is a completely solid body of work that I wouldn't buy on vinyl only because I'd be afraid it would set my record player on fire.