OUT NOW: S NO S "10 DIGITS"

...And, we're back!
We've been away for awhile, but not nearly as long as S No S, which is the solo project from Brandon Strecker, formerly of the band Shitting Glitter and currently of the band Turbo Sunshine.  As S No S, he released quite a few solo albums back in the late 90's and early 00's before relocating to Los Angeles and joining Shitting Glitter.  While those albums all had their charms, especially "May April," this new collection shows a vast improvement in songwriting, technical proficiency, and a broader range.
10 Digits is very much a "digital" album, being released digitally, and featuring much more electronic instrumentation than in any previous album.  The opener, "Bring On The Aliens," makes clear this new sound from the get-go, filling its atmosphere with spacy synths, electronic beats, and all kinds of effects and noises, all adding up to a very modern and advanced sounding track.  The crescendo section before the last chorus is very dramatic, but the biggest surprise is at the very end of the song when it sounds like the aliens have just landed in a loud cacophony of sound.
"Who Killed Love" is a great, electro-goth tune with guest vocals from Adrienne Pearson, formerly of Radio Vago and Shoot Out The Lights, and currently of The Readership Hostile.  The lyrics are often funny, perhaps tongue in cheek, but also something a lot of people can relate to.
"Ask Me Later" is very catchy and upbeat, and tells a great story in the lyrics.  We always enjoy songs that tell stories, a craft which seems to be rare these days.
Several other up-beat highlights include "Shake Off The Fever" and "Where Did You Go," but perhaps a bigger surprise are the slower, more lush and melancholy tracks such as the psychedelic "Far Out With You," the haunting "The Pen And The Twist," and the utterly gorgeous album closer, "Ending Of The End," which sounds like it would be a perfect soundtrack song in a movie.
There's even a track which could be considered witch-house, a fairly new and obscure genre, called "The Reckoning," which might be a great song to add to your Halloween playlists as it's dark and spooky!
All in all, this is a tremendous album full of depth and distance, which shows a musician really perfecting his craft and strengthening his voice.

Available at snos.bandcamp.com.

Rating: OOOOO (Five out of Five O's)