Zammuto
Anchor
2 September 2014
Temporary Residence
4 stars out of 5
In the storied tradition of Van Halen and Bon Jovi, Zammuto
is a band named after their primary songwriter, Nick Zammuto. He is perhaps
more well known as one half of the acclaimed experimental electronic duo The
Books, whose four albums, including Thought
for Food, The Lemon of Pink, and Lost and Safe, are classics of the early
Third Millennium. Anchor is Zammuto’s
second LP since The Books broke up in 2011, and it features contributions from
Snowblink’s Daniela Gesundheit.
Breaking free from the dense, forbidding clutter of their
self-titled debut, Zammuto opens up a lot of space on Anchor. Songs are given room to unfold naturally and reveal their
subtleties. The drums of “Sinker” attack and decay as they provide what would
normally be the task of a melodic instrument. The opener “Good Graces” cradles
Gesundheit’s vocals in a sample-strewn but relaxed electronic embrace, while
the closer “Code Breaker” sounds like King Crimson’s interpretation of
Afrobeat. “Your Time” is the “Polly” of the electronica world; in a similar
vein, Zammuto actually cover the traditional song “Henry Lee,” without any pretences
to folk tradition beyond the lyrics.
Anchor sees Nick
Zammuto back on track after the slight mis-step of the previous record. If you
loved The Books you’ll find similar pleasure with this record. If you’re new to
Zammuto’s music, this is the perfect starting point.
reviewed by Richard Krueger
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