The Snake The Cross The Crown - Mander Salis

Equal Vision Records has built their reputation on hardcore dynamics, searing vocals, and caterwauling guitars. I was surprised, then, as The Snake The Cross The Crown’s debut full-length, Mander Salis, opened with a lush, atmospheric synthesizer sweep that set the tone for the oncoming album. Instead of punk-inflected hardcore, Mander Salis brings a melodic pop edge to its delicate, somber songs that soar with a Radiohead feel circa The Bends and gather an emotional feel similar to that of The Smiths. As much as The Snake The Cross The Crown do breeze through light, radio-ready psychedelia and modern pop tints and shades, they do still retain enough remnants of emo and rock to warrant their record label. Still, though, songs like swaying “Empires” or the Shins-like “On the Threshold of Eternity” catapult this band far past any pinpoints of emo. Although this is a rather typical indie-pop release, it is clear that these five musicians hold the songwriting prowess to one day sit alongside their many influences. [www.snakecrosscrown.com]