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During all those years when you spent your precious time pouring over albums from The Gloria Record and Mineral, did it ever occur to you that singer Chris Simpson would sound great on his own and in full indie pop form? No? Well, that isn’t entirely shocking given how emo/indie rock and Simpson seemed destined for each other for as long as they both existed. But, styles change, time passes and bands break up. Pop is now the prevalent sound of the indie scene, whereas emo is more likely to conjure up images of mainstream artists like Fall Out Boy or My Chemical Romance. Still, even with the current trends it’s strange to hear Simpson alongside the slew of catchy melodies and jangly guitars that litter the soundscapes of his self-titled debut EP under the Zookeeper moniker. That isn’t to say it doesn’t work, because it does, it just takes a moment to adjust.
Speaking of adjustments, the single thing that doesn’t require one is Simpson’s songwriting. The guy has been doing it very well for a long time and it is evident here, as the slightly generic arrangements that makeup the majority of the EP would not work too well in covering up any bad lyrical choices. They’re simple and clearly meant to support the vocals, which are surprisingly diverse. “I Live In The Mess You Are” is joyous and upbeat, “Tax Collector” is pop rock to the core, “Delivery Room” is brisk, and “Flood Of Love” is twangy (which in part is due to the presence of label mate Alex Dupree).
Oddly enough, the one misstep on the EP is Simpson’s decision to revisit the past with “Two-Part Intervention,” a slow burning low-fi tune that is slightly reminiscent of Daniel Johnston. Perhaps it would work somewhere else, but on this disc the track abruptly eliminates all of the energy and positive nature of the other four in exchange for six grueling minutes of tape recorder style vocals that push out forgettable lines like: “She was my melody.”
At the end of the day this is still the same Chris Simpson that everyone has held with such high esteem for so long. He’s just found a more light hearted method of delivery, which by coincidence or not is immensely common at this particular time; kudos to him for figuring out a way to do it well.
Websites:
www.zookeepersworld.com
Myspace
