Znth – Yr Damned Zenith

znth-your-damned-zenith

While listening to znth’s newest album, yr damned zenith, one can easily get lost in the semi-dreary sounding dreamscapes that the band paints with their music. Definitely moody at times, a bit shoegaze and a bit ambient, and also a bit eighties dark-wave, znth’s tunes call to mind some New Order-style chill yet danceable rock – flush with rad bass lines (like in “I’m gonna be alright”), driving guitar licks (as in “ciccone island”), and David Bowie-esque vocals (check out “the quitter”).

This four piece of Austin dudes put together an album of a lot of short songs – they all flow into each other, making the album seem like one long track. Some of the songs are easy to groove to, like the harder rocking “don’t go quietly,” however, some of the other tracks can get a little repetitive and, for lack of a better word, forgettable, such as the album’s opener “fin de siècle.” The song is not bad by any means, but if it wasn’t for the repeated lyric “I need your ass,” it would pass by in less than three minutes and soon be just forgotten.

All in all, though, “yr damned zenith” is pretty tight. A few tracks stand out more than others, like the song “I’m gonna be alright,” which includes some really groovy saxophones, and the closer “clusterfuck,” which is worth repeated listens. Its sweet solos are jangly in all of the right places. It’s an album I could easily put on and play in its entirety at a party – cool, dreamy, chill, winter-y, without being too in your face, while still keeping an edge.

– Brittany Bartos