Snow Strippers - Night Killaz Vol. 2 (2024) Review
Snow Strippers have recently released their follow-up to their great Night Killaz, Vol. 1 EP and though I was looking forward to it, it is only okay. There’s lots of unfulfilled potential on this EP since it sort of sounds unfinished, or at the least, not as cohesive as it could be.
The EP begins with “Chained Up” and it starts off like a typical Snow Strippers song so nothing to complain about. However, the production during the first verse is so sloppy that it detracts from the music. The duo is generally good at avoiding this, but it just sounds so drowned in feedback and effects to a distracting degree. The “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” interpolation is cool, but it just makes me feel like I should be listening to that better song instead. I enjoy the vocal chop when she says, “I’m chained up” and it is simultaneously rhythmic and melodic. The song is short and it’s fine overall but nothing crazy.
I enjoy “Favorite Lifeline” a little more than “Chained Up,” and I like the signature Snow Strippers whistle sample which appears throughout this entire EP. I like recurring motifs and sounds in music so it is right up my alley. There is an interesting synth sound playing throughout that really drives the song. I like the song, it is decent.
I’ve already reviewed “So What If I’m a Freak” and it is by far the best song on the project. There is so much energy on this track and it screams dancing in a packed, sweaty club that smells like BO and weed. This is one of my favorite Snow Strippers songs and it is one of my most listened-to songs this year so far. I wish the rest of the EP kept this energy and vibe because it is a fantastic EDM song.
“Back N Forth” starts so strong with a nice, little synth-line melody in the intro. I am not in love with the rest of the song, but there are moments I genuinely enjoy on here. The song is okay, but not even close to being a top Snow Strippers song. We get back on track with the next song, “Draw a Heart.” I love the syncopated keys playing throughout the song. The sound selection is solid and sounds very 80s pop mixed with early 2010s electro-clash. This is some good dance shit. That is what I like out of the duo.
“Need to Know” is fairly decent, once again not a top-caliber Snow Strippers song, but not at the bottom of the list either. In a sense, they remind me of how King Gizzard uses recurring sounds, licks, and motifs throughout their discography and I have always enjoyed little easter eggs and callbacks like that. The song’s best part is when the music scales back and the “ooh darling” sample plays.
“Throw It Back Away” is my second favorite song on the EP and shows a bit more of what Snow Strippers are capable of. This is one of the songs where you can hear them carve out their own sound. You can obviously still hear influences but they’re doing a good job of taking it in a different direction.
“Video Games 2 (feat. PurpleSparklyBentley)” is the final song on the EP and I don’t like this song that much. It relies too heavily on a Lana Del Rey interpolation and the chorus is fucking awful. I usually don’t care about lyrics in dance music, but even if it is supposed to be ironic they are still bad. I do like some of the vocal chopping and production on the vocals but other than that I am not a fan of this.
This project is my least favorite Snow Strippers release, but it’s not bad, it just misses the mark at moments. There are parts throughout the EP I like but there are also moments that still feel like demos. I think they are at their best when they use their influences to build their sound, not their whole songs especially since it doesn’t even feel like they’re doing an ode to what they like. The level of interpolation and sampling isn’t like The Avalanches or Daft Punk or something. I’m a pretty big fan of Snow Strippers and I still see the potential, but this project is their weakest so far.
5/10 - Average EP