"A large part of Goodbyehouse 's success lies in Johansen's vocal delivery. It's got a bit of detached cool, but it mostly just sounds calm and clearheaded. And despite the downer atmospheres, she doesn't come off like a killjoy-she still finds pleasure in what's available. On opener "Sun Tan," there's delight to be found in her slurring, which moves from "wasted" to "low waist pants" with a lithe, measured cadence. She relishes every word as they glide alongside driving guitar chords."
"And with its shuffling drum groove, the song feels like indie rock for road-tripping, conveying all the pleasure of wind in your hair in the hazy, processed vocals and fluttering synths. She sings about the spell of a romance breaking once morning arrives, and the chorus, with its decidedly confessional demeanor, lets you down gently."
"Maybe these songs should feel queasy, maybe they should create pause. But Snuggle don't want their emotions to appear contradictory, and the music follows suit, occasionally oblique but always intuitively coherent. On "Marigold," the cello both weeps and creates erotic tension. The guitar on "Driving Me Crazy" sounds like vintage Smashing Pumpkins, but then the band throws in a weird, rubbery bassline that sounds like a joke."
Johansen's vocal delivery is calm, clearheaded, and occasionally detached while still finding pleasure amid downbeat atmospheres. The opener "Sun Tan" uses slurred lines, driving guitar chords, a shuffling drum groove, hazy processed vocals, and fluttering synths to evoke road-tripping and the spell of a romance breaking at dawn. Snuggle balances oblique moments with intuitive coherence, pairing weeping cello and erotic tension on "Marigold" with guitar touches that recall vintage alt-rock while introducing odd, playful basslines. Juxtapositions of pretty and wonky elements make emotional volatility feel authentic, and ambient piano washes conjure nostalgic ambiguity.
Read at Pitchfork
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