Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

There are musicians and stars who become iconic, not through some sense of extravagance on stage, some outspoken theory they proudly proclaim to the masses and has each person wrapped up in the light’s glow and which carries the bombastic tones and arrogance ill befitting artistic endeavour, but with a sense of guile, of persuasion, the stardom of the interaction framed by stimulating works and ideas…its like comparing gossip to meaningful conversation, and a truth worth exploring and motivating.

The ever enigmatic, ever complete writer and songstress Doris Brendel returns with what may seem as the most intriguing album title of the year, Searching For Snails, but which contains a deeply resonating sense of self, of the willing persona to not only push boundaries, but actively using incredible muscle and pure influence to drive home the glory of an album steeped in playful allusion and feminine ferocity.

Doris Brendel never stands still, never allows the shadow of incredulity and stiff opposition to silence her voice, her intrigue, her fascination for language and manoeuvrable expression to tie her down to one simplistic formula, instead her wide range of observation serves a kind of social justice, allowing all to have their eyes opened to a world others choose to ignore, and as tracks such as I Don’t Want To Go To Heaven, the excellent I Wanna Be Sherlock Holmes, a subtle, undeniable statement that gets to the heart of many relationship issues, Together Apart, Middle Aged Teen, the conscious humour of I Like Your Mother (More Than You) and the prevailing wisdom of the album in Searching For Snails push the narrative of charming communication and spell like enthralment.

Searching For Snails is full of creativity, never idling, never content to rest upon the highs already built by her studious musical intelligence, a trail of sentiments and piercing cool, one that sends the naysayers to their shells and the open-hearted rejoicing with certainty.

Ian D. Hall