First, a warning: If you're approaching O Zeta Zunis as a curious fan of Sufjan Stevens's Asthmatic Kitty label, you're in for a shock. Trumans Water is a noise rock band that formed in 1991 in San Diego, although it relocated to Portland in '94. O Zeta Zunis is the band's 13th album, and its first release since 2003. Despite its long-running status, the band has always fallen by the wayside for everyone but the most devout of '90s art-damaged indie rock fans; the closest comparison might be Pavement, but only if Malkmus and co. were looser, faster and way noisier.
O Zeta Zunis offers a good overview of the band's sound while remaining accessible — at least, as accessible as Trumans Water can get. Unlike its earlier work, there are no dissonant, off-time, nine-minute guitar explorations; rather, this is a collection of two-to-four minute songs that range between the bouncy and oddly melodic ("5-7-10 Split"), to restrained instrumentals ("Ur-Cod") to unhinged, wildly careening noise rock ("Since Yesterday"). It’s a bizarre signing for Asthmatic Kitty but, regardless, O Zeta Zunis is a great record for those who miss when "indie rock" referred to bands unafraid of cheap guitar amps.
Post the first comment: (Login or Register)