Every so often, a band pops up that comes as a surprise. Snake Chicken Soup is one of those bands. Featuring FRANTS, most recently known as a producer at HYBE, BIGHIT, and SOURCE, but previously a member of Telepathy, Choi Wonbin from Chwvin and Wetter, and Park Jongyong from Idiotape, Snake Chicken Soup is a throwback to loud and in-your-face rock and roll.
補陽 is a 27-minute EP that gets started at a sprint and doesn’t stop until the end. If you ever heard Telepathy, FRANTS’ vocals are instantly recognizable. He hasn’t lost any of this edge and Snake Chicken Soup is able to harness his style and energy. Choi Wonbin’s bass is also a foundational piece because it pushes each track forward. And as always, Park Jongyong’s drums add a huge impact during every beat.
Snake Chicken Soup’s music sounds like it was made to call back to the older days of Korean rock when bands were creating a lot of diverse rock music all supported with high-energy songs. When you listen to 補陽, you’re going to a party. Snake Chicken Soup pour audio over every moment and even when there’s a small break like on “DIRTY ROOM,” they keep up the momentum.
The most enjoyable part of the EP is that the band really sounds like it’s having fun. “WHAT CAN I DO” is the band’s slower tempo song, but it still contains more attitude and grit than most other rock bands from the past couple of years. Snake Chicken Soup take rock and roll and translate it through their lens to make something familiar while also sounding fresh in 2023.
It’s no surprise that “FUCK OFF” was chosen as the track that Spotify added to its playlist because it contains a presence that many listeners haven’t heard in the genre either before or for a long time. It’s a great song, but not my favorite overall.
This EP presents the expertise and experience of the three members. There’s precision and polish over every note and beat. Even when things sound like a collision, the composition has a purpose and place to keep the music moving forward.
Snake Chicken Soup is a 2023 highlight. They’re offering something that’s been missing for a while: wild energy. 補陽 is already in my top ten of the year.
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Chris P
Korean Indie owner and Editor at Large. Constantly looking for new music and working on library parity on Spotify and YouTube Music.