ROWLAND S. HOWARD: TEENAGE SNUFF FILM

SCORE: 75/100

It's an album full of gothic melancholy mixed with Western movie soundtrack-esque production, and it's a stunning display of artistry through a deeply, truly unique project. It's a cinematic record, and it's a highly unique hidden gem of an album that pushes the boundaries of its genre - making something more out of the labels it is provided with.

'Teenage Snuff Film' has the dark edge of a goth album while blending in elements of post-rock/punk, blues, punk, singer-songwriter, and country - adding a new, dimly lit flair to the respective genres, a flair that is dark and gloomy, with an almost hollow - yet light and digestible format. The sound is without a doubt unique, but it isn't quite as captivating as it could be due to slow progressions and a sound that doesn't use many varied points in its sound.

When the tracks build and swell into something bigger, they really leave a lasting impression. Rowland's voice is perfect for his body of work when it comes to this album, and his artistry & artistic vision are both remarkably clear, leading to an album that is full of that same clarity and cohesiveness that comes together into one very nice project.

The end result is a highly atmospheric album that douses itself in melancholy, it's an album that has more worldbuilding and atmospheric elements than anything, and it leads to a very interesting listening experience that is full of moments that are both pleasant and well-kept. It's full of bittersweet symphonies, with lyrics of attraction, relationships, and heartbreak all swindling together into one album that tells more of a story than you might expect it to.


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