Felt - Let the Snakes Crinkle Their Heads to Death (1986)

Felt, in my humble opinion, is the quintessential band; they are the epitome of tasteful, aware, and ultimately splendid music. Excuse me for being hyperbolic, but Lawrence is the grand genius of modern pop; his brilliance in all facets of his career surpasses any other musician by a long shot. Churning out 10 albums and 10 EPs in 10 years (almost as if they planned their career to be systematically perfect, putting out a plethora of material but not overstaying their welcome or burning out). The reason they are so adored by me and countless others is that everything they ever touched was golden. The Felt canon is a display of sheer, unadulterated beauty and magnificence. Over the span of 10 years they managed to stay consistent, yet fresh, and transcended their peers by taking a road less traveled.

Let the Snakes Crinkle Their Heads to Death (an ambiguous, yet brilliant title, like all of their album and song titles) is a purely instrumental record, showcasing their musical capabilities without the need for vocal compliments (and a bold, ballsy, almost self-destructive move following their relatively successful attempt at commercialized music, Ignite the Seven Cannons - perhaps intentionally avoiding the fame that they were on the cusp of achieving at the time?). This album was forged around the juncture right after Maurice Deebank left the band, so I'd assume Lawrence and Martin Duffy are responsible for the compositions this time around. It's an evocative piece of work and one of their best, although to say which Felt album is best - that's like choosing a favorite child. A little on the short side, but suitably so, this is simply a collection of nice, quaint gems that can be taken at face value: good music.

Rating: 9.5/10

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