Sneaky Thieves – Brotherly

Sneaky Thieves are pretty heavy on the atmosphere, you could even say that the ‘music’ part of their songwriting takes a backseat to the creeping moods they try to sculpt. With reverb-drenched vocals and throbbing acoustic guitar strums, they sound like a subdued Slint, a de-electrified Junior Boys, or a warm-blooded Slowdive.

That being said, their latest record Brotherly is divided up into ten easily digestible songs, there aren’t any brooding, 2-minute interludes, or obtuse, side-long tracks; this is post-gaze at its most inviting. In fact it’s not entirely unlike The xx’s soon-to-be-classic 2009 debut – ultra-minimalist, incredibly somber, but likable enough to invite an unprecedented amount of listenership.

I will say that  Brotherly is a little relentless in its downer status, which is not to say it’s ineffective – the album finds a lot of abstract ways to be stern, early cut “Guillotine” in particular is centered on a eerie “touch me please, though my hands are guillotines” (Edward Scissorhands, anyone?) But after a while it can get a little tiresome, especially when you consider just how slowly everything on the album is played. But despite all that negativity, Brotherly is a surprisingly rewarding album, and for a band this young, it’s exciting to think what they might try next.

Sneaky Thieves