The Zombies Breathe Out, Breathe In

It used to be enough to just write good songs and give them all you had.  But somewhere along the way irony set in and that approach became hopelessly outdated, replaced with mawkish faux-motion or detached post-modern self-awareness.  Some folks, like Jeff Tweedy and a handful of others, still hew to the ancient ways, blissfully unaware that they put their hip rating at risk.  Some of the old folks, after seeming to lose their footing as it all fell apart in the 80s, decided to say ‘fuck-it’ in the late 90s and got comfortable with the skills they developed as young men and women, salvaging many a career.  How relevant these people are to a culture that doesn’t really exist, I’m not sure, but I know the music got better. 

Inspired by a reunion concert that had them playing their 1967 masterpiece, Oddessy and Oracle, in its entirety, The Zombies decided maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to take up music-making the way they used to.  Rod Argent started writing new material (see my interview with him on this site or hear it here: www.highandlowpodcast.blogspot.com), and he and vocalist Colin Blunstone entered the studio with their touring band to record the songs from the bottom up.  Start with a good groove or tune, play the instruments you play, add color in moderation, and play like you mean it.  Mission accomplished

So how did this work out?  Listening to rolling piano licks on the title track, and taking special notice of the lack of post-production nonsense employed, you have to conclude that these guys are back in the groove.  Call it a throwback if you will.  This is genuine Brit-pop, the real deal, blending classical, R&B and soul influences into a catchy stew.  Only a few did it well in the first place and The Zombies were near the top of the list.  Next, on Any Other Way, they recapture that She’s Not There cool vibe, with some jazzy chords and the beat on the two.  Then, how about an homage to Hey Bulldog on Play it For Real?  Again, no pale imitation of styles long gone, but a well written song with some intriguing harmonies in the chorus.  There’s just a lot to like here.  And if they falter occasionally in the lyrics department (Christmas for the Free), the music and performances are consistently strong, which, for a band that has not been a cohesive recording unit in over 40 years, is nothing short of miraculous.  Who else could write a piano intro like the one to Let it Go?  Procul Harum, maybe?  Even if they aren’t breaking new ground, these are things to cherish. 

I urge you to seek this one out at least and give it a shot because you are rarely going to hear songs like this today, songs written with the element of surprise, but still chained to hummable tunes.  Did we ever need anything more?