The Excitement Plan
Yep Roc Records
By Noel Wurst
I was 16 years old when Snider’s first album, Songs for the Daily Planet, came out. “Talkin’ Seattle Grunge Rock Blues” was a hidden track on it (remember how awesome hidden tracks were?) and it was the funniest thing I’d ever heard in my life. I bought the album, and “Grunge” is the only song I remember ever listening to more than one time. It’s also still funny today.
This is the relationship I’ve always had with Snider’s music. His newest album The Excitement Plan is no exception. Snider’s storytelling and wit can’t be denied, but his ability to compose an entire album of songs to fall in love with has often been questioned. Like a countrified Leon Redbone, Snider delivers each song with such a cool and composed delivery; his calming confidence unfortunately often trumps the substance itself. I did find myself nearly weeping at the melancholy beauty of “Corpus Christi Boy” – and was disappointed to find out that this is actually a cover of a Robert Earl Keen song. It’s the highlight of the album by leaps and bounds, and is worth a listen whether you’re normally a fan of Snider’s or not.
Along with Leon
Redbone, Snider constantly releases albums that are consistently no better or
worse than his previous releases. While
this cements a fan base that has always, and will always be devout listeners,
it’s not a strategy that’s likely to win over you casual fans along the way. His albums are always worth a listen; they’re
just not that often worth a purchase.
