Rating: 
If you seriously don’t know who Snowmine is at this point, the time is now upon you to become close with this Brooklyn based outfit. In 2011 this band put out a killer debut album that had us salivating for more, and their own campaign for a self-produced and fan supported sophomore album has proved successful for the band. This time around the group definitely took risks, not only releasing it themselves, but also in streaming it for free a week before its release. These details aside, this band has sealed themselves into the indie pop world with Dialects.
“To Hold An Ocean,” sets the tone, first up on the album, with its serene and yet constantly moving sound. The vocals are soft and so are the music components—string work and bubbling synth, precisely akin to the kind of music you would expect to hear before a band takes the stage in a live setting and it gives that feeling of hype of the album. The band just jumps right into it with “Rome,” their textured indie pop music complete with vocals drenched in reverb and a beat that makes you want to dance around your bedroom. If you’re new to the band, this track should spark your attention immediately, as its elements in culmination offer a different take on indie-pop. Call it a combination of alternative soft rock with electro pop and classical elements mixed in, but whatever you call it, it’s hard to turn away.
Though Laminate Pet Animal was a lovely first album, this second effort shows grace and maturity from the group. The sound is cohesively smooth, while sharp enough to prick your attention and hold you there. Each song is a delight in itself, even up to the close of the album, you are excited to hear where the band is going next. Take rocker “Plans,” which is dominated by its heavy beats and bass lines and lightened with some synth riffs to push it into a dance friendly number, all while not losing sight on some detailed lyrics that their previous album was far from short of. Or maybe “Silver Sieve,” with its crescendo-ing culminating finish, is more of your favorite number. It’s sharp and smooth, near and far away, and all you could want from a pop group: detail and effortlessness all in one neatly wrapped package. Or perhaps “Dollar Divided,“ the slow simmering finale is more of your speed—my point is this: it’s all there and it’s all good.
Call me impressed. Dialects is a firm statement for Snowmine: they are here and here to stay, perhaps even to burst onto the big stage. Don’t wait to hear them on the radio, if you still listen to that thing, but enjoy this delightful album now! Get in on this love affair we’ve been admittedly apart of for years.
In my show preview, I noted that Chad Valley has become a must see for me. The last time through as a solo act, Hugo played Holy Mountain. Part of the sell of The Sidewinder was that it would be able to take Red7 bookings and have a space that was comparable to the dearly departed Holy Mountain. My back to back shows to start my time at The Sidewinder were outside and then inside so I have a decent feel for how the space works for both stages. Add to that a pleasant surprise in Stranger Cat and we have a great Thursday night show to kick off my F1 weekend.
After hanging with the boys in 
It is time. Though it’s hard for me to believe, it’s time for us to start gearing up for yet another 
