IRRITANT

With a twelve-year history and five full albums to their name, Alan Strawbridge, Duncan Gammon, Holly McIntosh and Jasper Williams are veterans of the music scene, and now they have embarked on the next step of their journey by bringing on board saxophonist Dino Christodoulou, and by signing with those nice chaps at BEM. Vocalist and guitarist Alan Strawbridge says: 'We're all really looking forward with Bad Elephant; enthusiastic and like-minded chaps with great taste and even better facial hair.' This is my first experience of Schnauser, and I am already starting to wonder what the other albums sound like, as this strange hotch-potch of styles is incredibly appealing, even though I'm not sure why.

Trying to describe this is, um, difficult. Okay, so let's get the obvious ones out of the way first ' they're heavily influenced by the Canterbury scene, and I am sure that the addition of the sax has exacerbated this, but there are heaps of musical references taken from the psychedelic scene of the late Sixties. Add to that a power pop sound that has elements of The Mothers of Invention, as well as the beat scene, and a wicked sense of humour then you may be getting close. I think I deserve a prize for picking up on the single melody line from 'Roobarb' which appears on 'Re-Mortgaging The Nest of Hairs' (did I mention humour?).

This is a very British album, there is just no way that any other country could bring together a mess of influences like this and make it into something that is quite special. There is a real 'indie' feel to much of this, and there will be plenty of progheads aghast at this being described as progressive, as they sound nothing like Yes or Genesis. No, they don't, they are Schnauser, and they're great.

Part XTC and ANTIQUE SEEKING NUNS, part FARMERS MARKET and HOMUNCULUS RES, this band of blokes from Bristol make complex, upbeat, quirky, humorous music over which are sung quite clever, humorous lyrics in many forms and styles.

1. "Spiele mit Katzen" (4:21) (8.5/10)

2. "Chinese Brainworm (T'nia Solium)" (4:48) with a country-Kavus Torabi twang. (9/10)

3. "Re-Mortgaging the Nest of Hairs" (4:12) a mid-tempo instrumental (8/10)

4. "Sorry, You Were Out" (1:24) reminds me of 80s indie-quirk-band IT'S IMMATERIAL.

5. "Have You Got PPI" (4:44) continues from the previous song with an account of a kind of phone telemarketing call. Fun vocal and nice instrumental contributions. (8.5/10)

6. "How Bout a Kiss" (4:06) So XTC-ish! Uncanny! (8.5/10)

7. "Fail Better" (6:35) cool synth octave lead in gives this one an early 70s Canterbury feel. The slow pace and BEATLES-esque vocal arrangements make for an interesting, pretty song. Would've fit nicely on last years THE WINSTONS' debut. (9/10)

8. "Hypertension" (4:15) So many cool quirky-jazz, Canterbury-style things going on this instrumental. Could fit nicely into a HOMUNCULUS RES album. My favorite track on the album. (9/10)

9. "A New Atmosphere" (8:23) klezmer like in opening instruments and rhythm structure, but the B-part goes more prog-Canterbury. Alternates back and forth like this for the first minute before it morphs a little to support a multi- voice vocal--kind of like an early Brit-pop "flower power" band (or very early YES). At the end of the sixth minute it switches into a slow, plodding speed over which a spoken poem is delivered in a NIGEL TUFNEL way. Meant to be funny? I'm sorry, I can't help but laugh. (9/10)

10. "The Monday Club" (7:44) definitely a piece of fusion--fusing jazz, pop, folk, psychedelia, and some proggy sounds. The chorus reminds me of Devon's MAGIC BUS. Love the HOMUNCULUS RES-like instrumental frenzy in the sixth and seventh minutes. Kind of a "Saturday Night's All Right for Fighting" outro. (9/10)

11. "Speile-Jangle" (2:17) strange filler-like song to end the album!?! (7.5/10)

Solid four star album; an excellent album of upbeat, quirky prog pop in a somewhat Canterbury style. Recommended for your listening explorations.