Over the past few years, Nashville DIY punk heroes Snooper have experienced the transition from young hopefuls to rising stars. With the release of their stellar debut album, 2023’s Super Snõõper, the frenetic chemistry between co-bandleaders Blair Tramel and Connor Cummins burst onto the modern punk scene, forcing their peers and critics alike to stop and observe this new energy. The band entered the public eye with an attention-demanding gusto that had already been slowly consuming the underground scene, and delivered a singular sound on their debut album, checking off all the boxes on the list of achievements that force critics and fans to use terms like “the next big thing,” the only thing left for Snooper to do is keep the momentum going.
That’s precisely what the band achieved on Worldwide, their highly anticipated sophomore record. These 12 bursts of crunchy distortion and sweeping melodies prove that Snooper is far from pop-punk revivalists grasping at tropes from their heroes; this band is here to redefine the genre as a whole. Their melodies aren’t just infectious; they’re restless, smothered in searing guitars that are drowned in fuzzy textures, accented by pulsating drums, creating a cacophony of colors from another universe. Snooper did more than leap over the sophomore slump with Worldwide; they successfully reinvented themselves without dismissing the individuality that made this band one of the more exciting additions to punk in years.
Worldwide is a sprint more than a marathon, but that’s the way Snooper likes it. With the longest song, the warping and twisted closer “Subdivision,” clocking in at just over four minutes, these fantastically chaotic tunes go by in the blink of an eye. The speed at which the band delivers its lofty visions is impressive, allowing these songs to feel like tiny worlds for the listener to get lost in, but it makes it difficult for Worldwide to find its footing. The nuances that separate these songs are present in these quick blinks of distorted fury, but that same energy can also drown them out, allowing the songs to bleed into one another to the point of blurred transitions.
Still, it is miraculous what this band can fit into just two minutes. The punchy, fiery tension of “Company Car,” the palpable tempos, and the avalanching vocal performance on “Hologram,” the honed hecticness of “Relay” — all of these elements combine to create the immersive listening experience that is Worldwide. Even if these moments go by too quickly, it’s hard to notice. The band grabs your attention with the thudding, rapid drum patterns of “Opt Out” and doesn’t let go until every jagged turn is felt in your ribs. The sonics catch your attention, but the lyrics only emphasize this out-of-body experience. The title track finds Snooper grappling with this newfound attention, while “Star *69” has them hopelessly looking for an answer to their troubles.
With all the attention pointed directly at them, Snooper makes their intentions clear on Worldwide. The 12-song sophomore effort allows the listener to view punk music through their lens, and these aren’t rose-tinted glasses, showing a band content with one sound forever. Snooper is looking to leave their mark on punk, and Worldwide slowly begins to dig its claws into that goal, even if it comes with subtle growing pains.
