Who Killed The Zutons [New Version] [CD]

Musically, there are some real stand-out songs on this album - 'Dirty Dancehall', 'You Will You Won't' and the paranoid freakout of 'Pressure Point' - and almost all of the more fast-paced songs could be singles.

The slower songs on the album are where the real genius of The Zutons shows, with some wonderful lyrical content (it's hard to imagine a better description of the loss of friendship than 'Remember Me') and some wonderful melodies.

Granted it's annoying that the band has chosen to re-release the album just to include 'Dont Ever Think (Too Much)', but it is a great song and a welcome addition to the album.

1.) Zuton Fever - Lovely intro, displaying their heavier rock tendancies, with a thrashing riff White Stripes-esque. The vocalist, Dave McCabe, is as always fantastic - he has a bit of Axl Rose in him for sure. 9/10

2.) Pressure Point - Again another rock anthem, very good and a lovely intro. It has to be said their soul/motown twists appear when all the band chip on on vocals to support Dave as a chorus, and it works fantastically. 8.5/10

3.) You Will You Won't - One of my favourites, definately; a sing-along funk-rock song, along the lines of Red Hot Chili Peppers... but then, not so. It's very hard to label them. I suggest listening to this as you'll probably like it instantly; some of the others take a few hearings before they really take off in your head.(or maybe that's just me)10/10

4.) Confusion - A quiet folk-rock song, could even be compared to Simon & Garfunkel? It's getting even harder to compare them as I go along. This is a good song for those who prefer quiet tracks. 8/10

5.) Havana Gang Brawl - This is possibly the hardest to label; let's just say it's very good, lots of nice guitars on it. 8.5/10

[I'll skip track 6, which is Interlude, a 30-second peice with violins and an acoustic guitar, and skip to the best track]

7.) Railroad - Without a doubt my favourite on the whole album, about a Chinese worker constructing the Transamerican Railroad. (If that's the name, something like that lol) It starts off as a lovely folk love song, and then grows into a country sing-a-long at the end - you just have to listen to this song, right to the end, to see what I mean. 11/10.

8.) Long Time Coming - I like this one alot, too; it gives the Saxaphonist alot more musical space. It's definately a Rock-Ska track and has a wonderful[ly loud] chorus, with McCabe showing some excellent vocals with a wonderful electric guitar beat. 9/10

9.) Nightmare Part II - Another fantastic song - the drums here, like in "You Will You Won't" are just superb; it can be said it's the heavy drum beats that set the songs apart. Really good. 8.5/10

10.) Not A Lot to Do - Another Folk/Country song, with other vocalists backing Dave up again - this Motown-esque chorus type is very effective -even when doing the softest folk song, the Zutons find a way to pick it up and they do, as it grows louder and puts yet again more emphasis on the Saxaphonist. 8.5/10

11.) Remember Me - the Skariest(Bad pun, considering it's cover... lol) song around, with country and rock thrown in for good measure; it's the sad story of a man who's best friend has deserted him for the girl of his dreams. But the Zutons are not intent on keeping you down; it's infectiously catchy and definately won't spread the unhappiness. 9/10

12.) Dirty Dancehall - Another staggeringly well-crafted song, with the drums and guitars out in full force; a Rock-Funk-Jazz song which is very, very good, including an exceptional chorus which you can't help singing along as it get's louder and louder.
Fabulous. 10/10

13.) Moons & Horror Shows - Despite the odd title, another hit from the Zutons. Their lovely Saxaphonist Abi lends her vocals to duet with Dave in the most Countryish song on the album, which alot of people didn't like. It sounds like a lullaby, admittedly, but it's still good. 8/10

And so there you have their epic debut album - and what a fantastic album it is. I recommend you go out and purchase this immediatly; if you don't like it, heck I'll pay for it. I would sincerely recommend this to people.
Absolutely excellent. :D