Customer Reviews

Zoot Woman

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Zoot Woman really get into first gear with this album. I can't understand previous reviews stating that this is a below-par follow up to 'Living in a Magazine'. For me, this album is much better than their previous one.

My reasons are, the first four songs on this album are breathtaking. They are high quality synth pop tracks, but what is more significant is that it shows a level of consistency not shown on 'Living...'. To have four songs of such class following each other is quite an achievement in the modern music world.

'Hope in the Mirror' is pure genius, and the bass line is just so catchy!

In fact there are no really poor songs on this album, apart from track six, 'Woman Wonder', which is dire.

Whereas 'Living...' was more laid-back, Hall and Oates-esque, this album has more depth to it. Johnny Blake's voice sounds better with the more bass-heavy, percussion-busy songs on this album. There are more guitars on this album too. The instrumental 'Calmer' is one of the best tracks I've heard this year.

Zoot Woman are the best group out there representing the style of 80's music, but what is more, they bring their own touch of the 21st Century to the mix too, rather than just harking totally back to the 80's.

i approached this with caution because of the whole "electroclash" hype swirling around music of this nature, and i have their other cd as well as les rythmes digitales and just figured i'd get more of the same. but my god how i was wrong. there are no banging club anthems here, plenty of stuff you can move to but to big huge hands in the air while they wail on about love, 'cause quite honestly that cliche in dance music is getting on my nerves. instead you getting beautifully written and gorgeously arranged songs NOT something i'm used to getting in electronic music (whatever genre it may be). it always seems like one gets sacrificed for the other, but not on this cd. it's simply just one of the best cd's i've heard in a very long time. nice and clean and refreshing which is just what the music industry as a whole needs right now. can't really narrow down the best songs on this since they're all so wonderful, so i guess you know what that means right? GET IT!!

I heard 'Grey Day' for the first time on an online radio and was immediately hooked. Having bought this album I was not disappointed. I am not usually a fan of eighties synth style music, but the combination of upbeat tracks and some more soulful tunes reminded me of French albums like Phoenix's 'United', and Etienne de Crecy's 'Tempovision', both of which I would strongly advise if you haven't already checked them out. If you are interested in the Wall of Sound label then have a look at Roykspopp and Black Twang.

Some of the tracks on this are weaker than others, and the first four or five on the album are the strongest (hence four rather than 5 stars), but it does work well overall. If you like it, then have a look at their first album, 'Living in a Magazine' particularly the title track and the first one, both of which have very cool videos (check out french tv) and really define this band for me. It's not always good to compare albums, and the differences between the styles of music may reflect maturity. I think the tracks on this album do have a more distinct and strong style than its predecessor. Nevertheless I prefer that album, hence the comparsion! "I've got a feeling, it's automatic!"

Hope this is not hype, but Zoot Womans most recent album will finally be released domestically. Neither the U.K. or America have been able to really enjoy this bands great sounds. Each album seems to grow and mature without becoming predictable. Grey Day, the lead song on the domestic release, will surely become a College favorite. Probably the best alt-rock band out of France in recent memory.

First things first: STUART PRICE aka ZOOT WOMAN aka LES RHYTHMES DIGITALES aka PAPER FACES is a GENIUS! Second: WHY OH WOW isn't this CD (as well as their last one LIVING IN A MAGAZINE) released in America?? Zoot Woman's leader was the musical director of Madonna's last tour, why couldn't she have the vision to release it domestic on Maverick/WB? For sheet quality in both production and songwriting craft, this could be the best "dance" album of the last few years...or rock...or pop...or, you get the idea. It's a real shame that more people in the U.S. don't know about ZOOT WOMAN - at least for now it can be our little secret!! :)

Zoot Woman often makes me wonder why the 80s ever went away. And, sure, their second album, self-titled this time, has that synth-rock hybrid that made the 80s happen, and it's almost enough to make you feel nostalgic. But, even so, "Taken It All" feels almost modern with its heavy thump and romancing vocals, as does the darker "Gem." And is that a hint of folksiness I hear strumming its way through "Snow White" (along with the electronics, of course)? Their loungier side comes out on "Calmer," which still has enough bass to shake your internal organs, and their rock side brings out the guitars for "Useless Anyway." And "Half Full of Happiness" is like a neon light flickering over a sea of Members Only jackets. Ten years just isn't enough for a good decade.

A combination of the sound of Air (or Zero 7, if you prefer), Hall & Oates and the current Goldfrapp. That is the best way I can describe the music from this self titled album by the England-based trio Zoot Woman. Among the tracks, "Taken It All" stands above the rest, with "Useless Anyway" as a close second. The rest of the album, being a production with touches of chillout here and there (something we are all a bit tired of by now), continues to packs a surprisingly fun musical punch more than three years after its original release.

If you ever wondered what a fusion album by Duran Duran, Joy Division, The Cure and Erasure would sound like had they found a middle ground and had the usage of sophisticated 2003 computer music software and digital instruments... this album may be the answer.
The engineering is delightfully sophisticated yet deceptively minimalistic. The poppy cheerfulness is only skin deep: darkness and despair are always lurking around the corner, just a note away.
Despite the presence of a couple of very forgettable filler tracks (Gem is quite the misnomer) this is a very solid second album from a very promising band.

this album isnt bad, just not as wonderful as their first album.