Too Loud for the Snowman

Sanford Arms | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 21, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: The Orchard
• ASIN: B00005NTTJ
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,711,376 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

The Stranger, Seattle, March 21, 2001

Hallelujah for the return of Sanford Arms. One foot in indie rock and the other in alt country. -KATHLEEN WILSON

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars grew on me, December 16, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Too Loud for the Snowman (Audio CD)

I had heard good things about Sanford Arms and decided to try them out (after I downloaded an MP3). This is definitely a "lazy album" as mentioned by one of the other reviewers.

The truth is the first time I put this album in I was kind of turned off. It seemed a bit too slow and drawn out. but after listening to it a couple more times I started to appreciate it.
This album has a great relaxed feel to it. The songs are loaded with great sounds that keep me interested. Definitely not some cookie cutter sound that seems to be a trend these days. If you like Spyglass (on same label) and sounds like Belle and Sebastian, then try these guys. Well worth the money. And never grow out of punk as others might have.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Devil in the Woods, Issue 3.3, 2001, November 4, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Too Loud for the Snowman (Audio CD)

5 Stars. After far too long in hiding, former Alcohol Funnycar frontman Ben London returns with a devastatingly world-weary collection of songs. The guitars have been turned down from London's previous work, yet this effort still boils over with fervor. "Too Loud for the Snowman" is a painfully detailed account of how it feels to have life collapse on you. London's exceptional eye for how people lose their direction provides comfort for the wasted days, and the morning after.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertainment Today, Oct 11, 2001, November 4, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Too Loud for the Snowman (Audio CD)

Those of us who are originally from places with distinct seasons - where the end of summer actually signifies something - may be better equipped to handle Too Loud for the Snowman. The debut from Ben London's Seattle-based pop outfit is so good that it can actually make you cold. These 12 songs all seem to take place on the first night you can see your breath in the air, the last twilight you spend with a fading summer love.

"I've been laying here like a yearbook on your shelf," London sings on "Mercury." "Pull out from time to time so you can laugh at yourself." The dreamily pensive guitars build toward a rousing climax as the mercury keeps falling and falling. This is the best song on a strong album; in fact, it's one of the best-crafted pop songs of the year.

London is the sole songwriter on the album, and his songs are continually smarter than just about anything else that's out there. The lyrics actually feel like you haven't heard them a million times before, and he continually hones in on sharp imagery. Sanford Arms formed three years ago - composed of veterans from the Seattle indie scene - yet this is their first album together. The patience shows. In terms of mood, the album lingers somewhere near Coldplay's Parachutes. While Snowman may not provoke the same commercial clamoring, it is actually the better of the two albums. London sidesteps mopiness, even if his heart is being broken, and the Sanford sound is both fully rooted and polished. "These days are the hardest," starts "Ohio Summers Ends." London's wistful vocals float over the subtle string arrangement and Rob Dent's lazy cadence. "The silence is uncomfortable for someone who likes to speak." And you know it hurts - you've been hurt like this before - and yet you can't help wanting to be back there again.
-- Adam McKibbin