Sneaker Pimps - Splinter (1999)

I, like many people, knew the Sneaker Pimps first album (Becoming X) and its hit single 'Six Underground'. I knew that they later made more music. I knew that they had parted ways with the woman that sang on the first album and one of the guys stepped up to take over singing. I was not interested and never really checked it out. I, for some reason, couldn't imagine it being good... I was so wrong.

This album is immaculately produced and has strains of lots of the trip hop of the era (think Mezanine era Massive Attack), with strains of jazz, some orchestral sounds (very popular at the time), and also a bit more rock music sound than typical of the genere. I hear snatches of almost industrial rock stuff (think Stabbing Westward) in the music, but done in a completely different way than that genre would normally do things.

Some of the vocals come accross as whiney on occasion... and they do take a little getting used to, but I think they are mostly really strong and fit the music well. The album is downbeat and feels like the lost album I really would have loved when it came out had I given it a chance (I would have been 17 at the time, so expect a little angst here). I've been really enjoying listening to it and how it really puts me back in 1999 - the mood/feel is spot on for my memory of the time, but the production feels somehow more modern in some ways.

I hear they have a new album coming out this year. I'll likely check that one out too. In the meantime, if you missed this one and dig the trip-hop/late 90s electronics with guitars thing definitely check this one out. It is a good headphone listen and works well as an album rather than individual songs. The album might feel a little front-loaded (the first three tracks are the ones I list as standouts), but the later tracks are pretty good too.

As I was writing this I found out that the album was not released in the US at the time, explaining how I never got around to hearing it randomly and getting into it. If they would have changed the band name and released it in the US I think it could have done pretty well here.

Standout track(s):

Half Life

Low Five

Lightning Field

Links:

Sneaker Pimps Bandcamp Page*