“A surf-inflected slice of garage rock which again embraces the danger and thrill of sheer momentum, burning bright and quick no matter consequences and ultimately revealing the real threat comes from within.” So we wrote of ‘Thumbs Up’, the lead single from Snake Lips‘ new album, Cat Beach, coming next month via Repeating Cloud. A track which embodied the spirit of the Portland, Maine outfit—a project started by vocalist and guitarist Cody Mitchell and currently featuring Pete Caradonna (drums), Kara Auclair (bass) and Sam Ellis (guitar)—in all its its joyous volatilty.
With the album now only a month away, Snake Lips have returned with latest single, ‘East Coast’. The opening track on the record which sees Mitchell and co. waste no time in getting the ball rolling, barrelling forward with a mix of sunburned energy and fatalistic playfulness fans of King of the Beach-era Wavves will recognise. But, as the title of the song is keen to remind us, Snake Lips do not hail from the sunny climes of California. This is surf rock with the added frustration of being isolated from the culture it pines for. “I’m the only one / The waves aren’t the same on the East coast,” as Mitchell sings in the opening lines. “Surrounded by horrible people / And I just wanna die / No one’s having fun / I can’t catch a wave on the East coast / Surrounded by hideous people / And I don’t feel alright.” There might be no means of fixing this predicament, but the song can remedy one part of it. No-one is having fun on the East coast, unless, that is, they are listening to Snake Lips.
