Despite a well-documented past as Jason Collett’s backing band, Zeus have broken away, pinning their hopes on this solid debut. Armed with the knowledge that they’re another product of that especially-ripe contemporary Canadian scene, you may well sigh. However, in offering up a range of eclectic pop ditties with a healthy smattering of sprightly, gritty indie rock diversions, Zeus hold their own.’
Despite a well-documented past as Jason Collett’s backing band, Zeus have broken away, pinning their hopes on this solid debut. Armed with the knowledge that they’re another product of that especially-ripe contemporary Canadian scene, you may well sigh. However, in offering up a range of eclectic pop ditties with a healthy smattering of sprightly, gritty indie rock diversions, Zeus hold their own.’
Drawing inspiration from a slew of iconic ’60s and ’70s outfits, Zeus waste no time in generating an upbeat swagger, How Does It Feel kicking off into a sweet ragtime jam. Their enthusiasm for their craft becomes apparent, as Fever Of The Time recalls an afternoon in the wild west laced with gentle harmonies and reverberating intricacies. The organ-aided dirty grunge of You Gotta ‘Teller sees Zeus do their best to recreate themselves as Ok Go – so noted not for their dull similarity, but, rather, it’s one of the best tracks on the record. Marching Through Your Head proves the real winner, however, emerging as a methodical, pop-rock mainstay underscored by a recurring, dizzying vocal loop-the-loop.
Zeus boast an impressive, special kind of allure, their debut in constant metamorphosis. With such a contrasting set of songs all collated into the one release, Say Us demands multiple listens. It’s a lot to process and there are times in which the album does succumb to an indistinct void, but Zeus are sure to find their feet again quickly. The better songs on the record are never far away.
Though it seems at first that Zeus never really quite generate the exciting electricity that suggestive of their namesake, Say Us can best be described as malleable, yet entirely inoffensive fun and an album that will ultimately bear its rewards. If you’ve ever seen the US television series Malcolm In The Middle, Zeus are just the band you’d expect to feature somewhere each episode. It’s a bit of fun and there’s nothing wrong with that, especially when there’s a few gems begging to be unearthed. All in all, here we have a debut worth investigating.
