For those wondering who The Zutons are lemme warn you. They aren’t normal fare for ninebullets. The Zutons are an indie-pop rock band from Liverpool that writes largely disposable music aimed towards the iPod generation. Still, I think there is a place for the “more hooks than substance” cd section on everyone’s rack. Sometimes you’re in the mood for the musical equivalent of Chinese food when you head to the cd rack, and The Zutons are the kind of band that fills that need. Great for the car on your Saturday night drive out the the club.
I first heard The Zutons via some silly sampler I got for making a purchase of more than 20 dollars. The sampler contained “Pressure Point” from their debut album, Who Killed…The Zutons? Normally I don’t even listen to those things, but for some reason I did…heard the song, loved it and ended up buying (and loving) the complete cd. Who Killed…The Zutons? was followed by the, IMO, largely unimpressive Tired of Hanging Around. Now, two years later, would they prove that Hanging Around was just a sophomore slump, or are The Zutons gonna end up being a one album wonder for me?
It turned out to be a little of both. The new album exchanges some of the “party” flavor of Who Killed…The Zutons? for a dose of “paranoia”. Perhaps it’s the fame starting to grind on them, the money making them mistrustful, or the perhaps it’s something else, but You Can Do Anything is quite dark. It’s not nearly as awesome as Who Killed and I doubt Amy Winehouse is gonna cover anything from it, but it’s still way better than Tired of Hanging Around.
The Zutons - Valerie
Mark Ronson (feat. Amy Winehouse) - Valerie
The Zutons - You Could Make The Four Walls Cry
The Zutons Official Site, The Zutons on myspace