Spells - Charlie & The Shithead Take It Down A Notch, Expanded Edition 7"

Snappy Little Numbers (2020)

Hey it's Spells!  I have had nice things to say about pretty much all of their records over the years.  My praise for this one will be no different, even though the content is not quite what you would expect from the Spells folks.  This 7" contains eight (that's right, they crammed EIGHT songs onto this 7") Spells songs, however these are done acoustically so you only get some strumming and hollering.

Without listening to this, if you asked me what I thought of the idea, my gut instinct would be that Spells aren't exactly the first band I would think of to do this.  I didn't think the songs would translate as well acoustically, but low and behold, I was very wrong. These songs have just the right amount of energy and oomph to them, highlighting the poppier aspects of the song while avoiding the typical pitfalls of singer-songwriter nonsense.

These songs remind me most of the acoustic version of "Landlords" that Pinhead Gunpowder did.  You know what you're suppose to get from a Pinhead Gunpowder song and even though the acoustic version is unexpected, it absolutely works because the song is there.  It works regardless of the performance type.  That's what I think about these songs, they really showcase the quality of the songs themselves.  They still shine even without the loud drums and fuzz and the general party vibe I associate with Spells.  These are fun, color me surprised and impressed.

Spells -  Charlie & The Shithead Take It Down A Notch, Expanded Edition 7"
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/charlie-the-shithead-take-it-down-a-notch-expanded-edition