Abigail Snail – Rad Berms (Romac Puncture Repairs) – Oh now, what have we here?! Oh now, the refreshing sound of something different, of a band who want to be different, a band who sing that they know what they want. There’s absolutely nothing that’s obvious about this album, the most obvious thing about it is the far from obvious album cover than cleverly tell you nothing and at the same time everything about the strangely named Abigail Snail (the artwork or at least the design is credited to Giulia Cavallini, good album cover design is important, so many bands and labels give the impression that their cover art is little more than an afterthought). Do like the way this band bend things, that they make you feel things are loose when they’re probably not, the way they change the speed of sound and move things around, guess they’re good to go, oh no! Hey! Yikes what? Abigail Snail don’t obviously sound like anyone, they’ve got lots in there, so much in their uncluttered sound, those bits of blue, soul and some kind of avant progressive mathy otherness that isn’t like the otherness. They could be unhinged, they might be very clever, nothing is obvious although these people know how to play the blues in a raw on the edge kind of almost broken way. They seem to be Stef Kett on vocals, guitar and bass and Will Glaser on drums, gongs and glockenspiel, they say they are “sporadically joined by fabulous pal” James Allsopp on tenor saxophone and bass clarinet.

Rad Berms really does sound crafted, carefully shaped, not quite painted or sculpted, certainly carefully shaped though, pulled in the right direction, moved slightly over there, a sound coaxed, a sound that delights, songs that delight. Don’t mistake delight for throwaway though, this has depth, this has a need to challenge both the artists making it and those of who want to listen to their art, actually this excellent and Good Grief that’s some batshit what? Brief? Keep your taps dripping? Save them pipes from splitting; plumbing advice as well as everything, what is there not to like about Abigail Snail? “Marc Ribot via Rory Gallagher”, now I like the idea of that and you know, it might not be as electrically rocking as the great Mr G but they’re not far wrong, certainly a bit of Marc Robot in there and good to go –

“Wrought from molten studio sessions, Rad Berms hisses with the heat of their improvisatory approach. These are raw, often three way sculptures, recalling the avant-garde guitar stylings of Hans Reichel and Marc Ribot via Rory Gallagher, the joyous, heartbreaking song of ‘60s soul, the incandescent groove of James Brown and Clyde Stubblefield, the experimental folk of Richard Dawson and Bill Callahan, and the tumult of late 60s free jazz…”

Hey, yikes spikes (or bikes) I really really (really) like this, Rad Berms is indeed a generous album, who says the chords have to be the right ones? You just need a couple of notes, that’s enough to know, there’s so much in here, yes this is indeed the refreshing sound of something different, brilliant album, love it to bits, every moment of it. (sw)

More on the who: “Featuring acclaimed musicians you’ll know from the avant-rock, jazz, new music and noise scenes: Stef Kett (Shield Your Eyes, Reciprocate), Will Glaser (World Sanguine Report, Sly & The Family Drone etc), and James Allsopp (Sly & The Family Drone, Snack Family etc)”

The album is out on  April 17th, 2026 and they play the Sebright Arms, East London on the same night. Here’s the Bandcamp with details or go ask them via Stef‘s Instagram

Hang on, here’s some live footage…