This is my first exposure to Zen Mother and I am hooked in straight away.
There is an uneasy ethereal tension running throughout the record. Haunting and beguiling in equal quantities.
The production is grand and kind of familiar but I cant quite put my finger on it. There’s a nod to early eighties goth though more contemporary in its execution. The vocals are oddly recognisable but beautiful and original.
There is a majesty in the way the vocals are verbed to the max but without losing their punch or blurring the edges.
There are loads of additional sonic details spattered around in every track which will surely make this a recording to come back to time and time again in order to discover new ear treats.
This record seems very much composed and scored in detail but doesnt lack the spontaneity found in a band working and recording live. That paradox in itself will ensure that Zen Mother are on my futures watch list.
This record has gravitas and ambition in spades and I would urge everyone to give it some eartime.
