Buffet Lunch – Snap EP

Edinburgh’s Buffet Lunch have recently released the new six track ‘Snap EP’ on Permanent Slump. A label that just keeps on churning out top quality indie and post punk. Buffet Lunch’s sound is a jagged discombobulating, at times slightly folk tinged, lyrically bizarre form of post-punk.

Opener ‘Brief Pause’ musically recalls the kookier moments of The Fall or Pavement. Perry O’Bray’s descriptive vocals are similar to chief Pheromoans rambler Russell Walker. He tells the story about someone who stops at the side of the road to take off his shoes, finding his feet have become disfigured.

The coherent structure, however, doesn’t quite prepare you for what is to come later on.

‘Hotel At The End Of The Universe’ is a brilliantly crooked stop-start jam with Mclusky-esque lyrical humour and vocal delivery. O’Bray’s and John Muir’s guitars dance and ping around joyfully like they are in conversation. The deadpan backing vocals at the end are a delight. Single ‘Snap’ is a short fast paced, frantic race that instantly recalls Glasgow neighbours Kaputt. It struts and shakes.

There’s a great saxophone skronk, jagged discordant guitars that wildly shift between hooks and taut drumming by Luke Moran that provides a great counterfoil to the elastic guitars. Lyrically they continue the oddball nonsense – “I need your hands to work to help my friend give birth”.

‘Where Is My Prize?’ plays with warped harmonics and clanging guitars that recall Dublin weirdos Stump and Neil Robinson’s bassline gives it the feeling of a drunken circus. The song descends into Captain Beefheart style madness before collapsing on itself. The spikey ‘Smell The Fruit’ sounds like a half-melted funk song that has tinges of James Chance and further leanings towards the Magic Band.

The elements are sparse but come together to make a busy and delightful whole.

It’s always curious when a band decides to put a live version of a song on a studio record, particularly when they’ve already put it out before, and that’s exactly what they do on final track ‘Do You Like My Trousers (Live)’. To be fair it does sound good and represents the song well. Again the lyrics are quite ridiculous, seemingly just about asking someone if they like the trousers they bought at a shop. All in all Snap EP is a really vibrant and enjoyable listen.

You may enjoy this if you like: Kaputt, Pavement, Savage Mansion, Stump, James Chance & The Contortions, Mclusky, Anguish Sandwich