Snooper have always thrived on chaos. Their early shows, littered with paper-mâché puppets, DIY projections, and a frenzied community spirit, felt like a warped carnival of punk absurdity. But even stripped of the spectacle, the Nashville five-piece demand attention simply through the audacity of their sound. On Worldwide, the much-anticipated follow-up to 2023’s Super Snõõper, Snooper sharpen their attack and deliver a record that’s as unhinged as it is immediate.
Co-founders Blair Tramel and Connor Cummins push their songwriting into overdrive here, collaborating with the legendary John Congleton (St. Vincent, Swans, The Paper Chase) at the controls. The result? A tightly coiled burst of noise that never overstays its welcome. Tracks like “Pom Pom” and “Guard Dog” are precision punk blitzes, marrying razor-wire guitar riffs with giddy rhythmic detours, while the title track “Worldwide” thrashes with a kinetic energy that feels tailor-made to collapse a basement floor.
What separates Snooper from countless punk revivalists is their ability to be both playful and pointed. Beneath the sonic haywire lies a cheeky humor, a knowing wink at punk’s past, and a commitment to sheer invention. Their riffs might recall the scorched earth of hardcore, but their delivery tilts into surrealist territory—blurring the line between art-school experiment and circle-pit anthem.
Jack White’s Third Man Records clearly saw this potential when signing Snooper, and Worldwide feels like the fulfillment of that gamble: a band with the imagination to turn egg punk aesthetics into something urgent, loud, and unforgettable. If Super Snõõper announced their arrival, Worldwide proves Snooper are here to stay—armed with fuzz pedals, a sense of humor, and enough adrenaline to power the grid.
Rating: 8.4 / 10
Snooper might joke around, but make no mistake: this record rips.