by Kenyon HopkinIt's safe to say that fans of Stuart David's electronic indie pop will be thrown for a loop on The Snare. On their first record for Mute, Looper drops their bright playfulness for a sophisticated, darker counterpart which uses jazz, R&B, and trip-hop as its foundation. Even David has transformed himself from an innocent indie rocker to a suave-looking character with a suit, tie, and goatee. Or is that Peacock Johnson? It all gets a little too confusing. Whatever the case may be, this is the soundtrack for David's second novel, The Peacock Manifesto, which follows the adventures of Peacock Johnson. Visual artist Karn David, guitarist Ronnie Black, and Evil Bob (another mysterious character who is credited with saxophone, among other things) contribute to the record's downbeat and sinister vibe. The last track, ironically titled "F**king Around," is the closest thing to previous Looper efforts or even David's former band, Belle & Sebastian. Some fans will hope that the song title implies a temporary experimentation, while others will dig Looper's revised image.