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Monday, 14 August 2006 05:15

Displaying an affinity for skronking saxophones and influences as disparate as Ted Leo and Dr. John, the Zutons, unlike many of their British counterparts in uber-publicity, actually have a distinctive sound.

 

In 2004, a little-known Liverpudlian quintet called the Zutons released their debut album, Who Killed the Zutons, and proceeded to follow the trajectory of your average NME darling: Hardworking band sells a bunch of records in the United Kingdom, but can’t make a dime in the United States. In the case of the Zutons, a Mercury Prize nomination and the dubious honor of playing at the Museum of Modern Art’s reopening in Manhattan accompanied the critical accolades, and while their story is typical, the band’s music is actually quite original. Displaying an affinity for skronking saxophones and influences as disparate as Ted Leo and Dr. John, the Zutons, unlike many of their British counterparts in uber-publicity, actually have a distinctive sound.

Some critics have categorized the Zutons as psychedelic, which isn’t quite right. The Zutons are simply weird, in the way that Captain Beefheart is weird. They don’t record spoken word pieces about squids in polyethylene bags, but like Beefheart, the Zutons’ music is a disjointed unison of disparate styles, resulting in something alien.

Their latest effort, Tired of Hanging Around, is no less unique, but far more frustrating than Who Killed. The first four songs are especially tantalizing, as the Zutons seem to have elevated their sound to a new level of weirdo-pop perfection. They expand their repertoire to include a bit of Bakersfield country on “Someone Watching Over Me,” and “Valerie” will have your stereo’s repeat button begging for mercy before long. Stop-and-go guitars, wisely understated saxophone fills, and just the right measure of “hoo-hoos” combine to make “Valerie” the album’s finest moment. Unfortunately, the Zutons can’t follow it up; they don’t even come close.

There are numerous factors plaguing the remainder of the record, not least of which is the saxophone. Notoriously fickle as a rock instrument, the saxophone appeared on Who Killed as a nice accessory, something that set the band apart. On Hanging Around, however, it’s given the spotlight too often, and unless you’re a certain legendary British band and your saxophonist is Bobby Keyes, this isn’t advisable. The Zutons’ saxophonist, Abi Harding, has a simple playing style, which is fine when used in a supporting role (even excellent, as “Valerie” demonstrates), but it becomes a problem when brought to the front. In the lead, Harding’s saxophone is too prominent, superseding Dave McCabe’s vocals and dampening otherwise good songs like the Iggy Pop–ish “Why Won’t You Give Me Your Love,” or sounding like something from a motel lounge on “Oh Stacey (Look What You’ve Done).”

Saxophone aside, some of the album’s tracks are simply too weird for their own good. Case in point: “Secrets,” a song which begins as a sing-songy exercise in unimaginative lyrics and ends up sounding like a particularly bad Santana collaboration. The band often seems to become overzealous and out-experiment themselves, but they needn’t strive so hard to be unique. They have talent; they simply need to learn restraint.

RIYL: The Coral, Dr. John, Love

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