Brevity defines the music that Washington, D.C.’s Eva Moolchan makes as Sneaks. On her new album It's a Myth, Moolchan logs ten tracks across 18 minutes. On her debut Gymnastics, she didn't pass 14 minutes. Her take on post-punk is minimalist and sparse—music that proves there's a virtue in being concise. These details suggest that it would be unnatural for Moolchan to accommodate anything beyond 20 minutes, and the transient nature of her work means there is little to compare her to both past or present.
It's a Myth represents the first Sneaks record for Merge since the label signed Moolchan eight months ago. Sneaks was born out of the desire for full creative control after playing in the short-lived Shit Stains whose first performance to five people included Katie Alice Greer of Priests. Greer introduced Moolchan into the capital's DIY scene, becoming a fixture in the community, while coming up with Priests themselves, Flasher, and Downtown Boys.
For It's a Myth, Sneaks recorded the album with Mary Timony (Helium, Ex Hex) and Jonah Takagi, with Timony producing it at her D.C. studio. Extra hands mean more instrumentation and allow for exploring new textures to create a more fluid album. It's a Myth is not a huge leap in sound because Moolchan opts for refinement rather than repurposing the roughness of Gymnastics. According to her Bandcamp tags, they fall within “cold cut,”(?) “zing zong” (??), and “violent vibes.” These descriptors allow Moolchan's music to be flexible in her expression and secure her experimentalism.
The Sneaks template is no more than bass, a drum machine, and vocals. Despite the minimal approach, Moolchan’s voice extends beyond the half-rapping, half-singing approach on Gymnastics. On “Inside Edition,” she delivers a hypnotic mantra that becomes the song’s groove and uses her voice as a melodic tool. That new feature of her work enables the creation of “PBNJ,” in which Moolchan’s voice sounds distant, and the music behind her sounds like it’s in a trance state. Moolchan’s lyrics are elliptical and playful, suggesting that she writes them in line with a song’s rhythm or to her voice’s melodic sensibilities.
Moolchan’s music may not appear to be as overtly political as the acts around her, but that’s not to say she is apolitical. On “Hair Slick Back,” Moolchan sings, “You think you’ve got a lot to say/No you think you need a bigger stage/You think I can’t contain my rage.” The words could be a taunt at the males that dominate DIY scenes. “When you go to a show, and it’s filled with all these punk bros,” Moolchan told The Media in 2015. “We should be taking up the space, and not these guys.” Moolchan’s presence alone is an act of protest, but with “Hair Slick Back” she offers a statement to rebut those with privilege who think they need more visibility.
Because of Moolchan’s devotion to concision, a three-minute song like “Look Like That” is a rare example of when Sneaks expands beyond her realms. It’s unfamiliar territory, and as a result, the song is less taut and impactful. It’s a Myth is the natural progression from Gymnastics, and so across the record, Moolchan refines her sound within these limits. Inside and outside of the music, she embraces the self-built space that she crafted for herself.
Correction: A previous version of the review misidentified label on which Gynmastics was released.
