Yet another band from Liverpool, the Zutons share not only a town and label with The Coral, but a fetish for old sixties sounds. On “Zuton Fever,” the catchy surf guitar and saxophone does seem to share a lot in common with The Coral circa their debut album. However, the hot single “Pressure Point” veers off into a parallel path that’s unique enough to separate them. Without targeting any particular artist, they sound vaguely more American, with more soul and R&B influences. “Dirty Dancehall” pays tribute to Dr. John the Nighttripper’s voodoo psychedelia without sounding too similar. “You Will You Won’t” could have been an alternate version of Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band’s “Dropout Boogie” from Safe As Milk, but it works. Low key crooners like “Confusion” and “Not A Lot To Do” fit in nicely between the more raucous, funky tracks. While only “Railroad” and “Nightmare Part II” count as weak tracks, many of the songs seem to lack something that would make the album feel more substantial. Sixties nostalgia is good fun, but the Zutons will need to push things forward a little if they want bands thirty years from now paying tribute to them.
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Fester’s Lucky 13: 1986
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