Hot Without Glasses – Snacktime (2014)

Hot Without Glasses, a.k.a Benjamin Fraser, is a general magic man and musician. Normally a folk artist, his debut foray into more mathy territories brings an interesting flavour from the music he normally plays and merges the two traditions together.

Snacktime is a brief, love-you-and-leave-you experience at only 3 songs long, but Fraser showcases some great potential, which makes it all the more galling that he produced something so incredibly listenable while “learning how to tap on guitar with [his] unarmed right hand”.

Each track is incredibly layered and multifaceted. Despite being less than three minutes in duration, ‘Isaac Broccoli’ feels like a musical journey that starts with banjo, glockenspiel and harmonica and ends at jubilant synths and electric guitars. Fraser has clearly left no section of his instrument cupboard unused for this project, and the EP is all the better for it.

Snacktime is unabashedly, radiantly cheerful, which is really why it works so well despite the range of influences on display. If you like your math in bright colours with a healthy dose of folk, check this one out.

File Under

Math rock, instrumental, twinkly, experimental, folk, one-piece, acoustic

Sounds A Tad Like

Zef’s Chasing Cara, Flower Coronet, The Speed Of Sound In Seawater

Price

Payo Whato You Wanto

Location

New York, New York