‘Archaeopteryx’ sets a new standard
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After the release of a light, upbeat full-length album and a disturbingly dark EP, The Zou purposefully went out of their way to produce a unique sound in their recent release, “Archaeopteryx.”
Zou fans who have been to recent shows may recognize some of the songs on the album like “Everyone’s Fault but Mine” and “Forget My Name,” as well as re-vamped versions of a few popular songs.
The album starts off with “They Don’t Make Them,” a previously upbeat throwback to the days of swing, but transformed into a slower, bass-heavy tune. Similar sounds are found in “International Department of Cute,” and “Lovely Flower in Your Pretty Red Hair,” in which the band experiments in real-life sound distortion. Instead of using simulated sounds, tracks in “Archaeopteryx” feature actual distortion noises including cell phone recordings, laptop computer recordings and drum sticks on a glass jug.
Lead singer Khaled Tabarra describes The Zou’s new album as a “musical epiphany that could be in a rock opera.”
Tabarra says that while writing and weeding through songs, he, along with guitarist Rob Thorndike, bassist Murad Shorrab and drummer Dean Anshutz, took a critical look at the arrangement of all the songs. This resulted in a complete evolution of songs fans thought they knew.
“When the Ink Dries” starts out as a melodic, folky ballad and turns into a heated battle between the music Tabbara’s powerful voice. “Forget My Name” is filled with anger of abandonment, but later develops into a mix of metal and hip-hop.
The Zou continued a pattern they started with their self-titled LP in 2004 when they rerecorded the song, “Trend” from Khaled’s “Bright Blues” album. The last track on “Archaeopteryx” is “Rose in a Mason Jar” from that same album. The re-recorded version doesn’t differ much from the original, but is noticeably cleaner and more mature than it’s 2000 counterpart.
The album also includes 01/01, a song originally intended for “The Pinebox,” but was held over because it didn’t fit with that album’s dark theme.
The album’s true gem, though, is hidden near the end. A track titled, “For a While” features a solo recording of Tabarra by Dennis Thomas at Tabbara’s former apartment, also known as Hudson Tubes Studios, in Hoboken, N.J. “For a While” is a soft, sad, emotion-driven story of how someone falls out of love. The Zou rarely plays it live, but once you hear it, it’s not easily forgotten.
Tracks one through six were recorded at Ampreon Recorder by Pete Drivere and tracks eight and nine were recorded at Mind Rocket Studio with Josh Roman. The album’s layout and design were created by brothers Cory and Cody Duma.
This album is fun, upbeat and a little weird. One noteworthy mention would be a slight error on the inside flap where the songs are listed. “When the Ink Dries,” listed as track three, and “Forget My Name,” listed as track four, should be reversed.
“Archaeopteryx” further sets The Zou aside from most bands in the area. Through original ideas, catchy lyrics and powerful melodies, The Zou has set a new standard for Youngstown bands.
Some spots in “Archaeopteryx” sound a little rough, but those quirks add character and originality to the album. Tabarra says that’s completely intentional: “It’s roomier, live sounding, but not that pristine live. It’s a dustier, vintage live.”
Now if only it were on vinyl.
Comments
Hey Sarah, thanks for the review. Here's a couple of notes:
1. "For a While's" Vocal and Guitar were recorded solo @ Hudson Tubes. The b3 organ, magnus air organ, clone auto-tune guitar, bass, and ARP odyssey were recorded by the band at Ampreon. This is however, the only song without drums.
2. The track reversal on 3 and 4 was a manufacturing problem. The company also placed the tray card in upside and backward. It's a problem that only exists in the first 100. Think of that copy as limited edition. ;)
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