Closing The Loop
By Robert Batz Jr.

Band: Looper
Album: "The Snare"
Label: Mute Records
(Click here to purchase.)
 
Looper started out as a side project for husband and wife Stuart and Karn David of Belle and Sebastian; it has turned into a full-fledged band of five that shows serious potential. While the two previous releases by Looper sounded like songs that just couldn't fit on a Belle and Sebastian CD, it was still clear that Stuart David was stretching out a bit with sample loops and catchy tunes like "Who's Afraid of Y2K". The second full release, "The Geometrid", left the critics wanting more.
 
A lot has changed since then: Looper's new release, "The Snare", leaps far beyond the boundaries of a mere side project. They've become a great band, and have now been signed to Mute Records. "The Snare" is dark, with Karn David's cover art setting the stage appropriately, right to the very first note of the first song. Their sound is reminiscent of bands like the Beloved, OMD, Future Bible Heroes, and Portishead, while still managing not to sound directly like anyone (even so, they still manage to compliment that "Mute Records" sound). While one could use words like trance, electronic or lounge to describe them, there is also an air of laid back jazz to their sound that defies proper description. All ten tracks are filled with evil-sounding vocals, but the band lightens up on the last track, "Fucking Around"; you'll wind up singing along and smiling.
 
This band is just getting started and will likely be huge in Europe, but with club remixes (and you going out and grabbing this disc at once) Looper will soon be a household name in the U.S. Here's hoping each member of Belle and Sebastian who decide to do a side project can achieve this level of creativity; as for Looper, it's clear they're not just, er, fooling around.
 
Other releases:
     Up A Tree (Sub Pop, 1999)
     Who's Afraid of Y2K (Import CD Single, Jeepster, 1999)
     The Geometrid (Sub Pop, 2000)
 

©2002 Robert Batz Jr.