By: Daniela Patrizi
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Released on September 2, 2014 via Temporary Residence
It’s easy to see why Zammuto is becoming a relevant name in pop/electronic music. Where the majority have a mimicking approach, the Nick Zammuto’s band, formed in Readsboro, Vermont, in 2011 keep on exploring the boundaries of sound as Anchor demonstrates. This is the Zammuto’s second album released through the Brooklyn based label Temporary Residence. What drove me to write this review about Anchor is that I found in it those moments when you say “aaahhh, this is nice”. On every single track.
Anchor consists of twelve tracks spread across more or less 45 minutes but you don’t really know where one ends and another begins and it doesn’t matter. What I like about this album and the Zammuto’s style is that his music has always small number of sounds in it that complement each other, move around in the in different configurations, with subtle patterns and sometimes emerging from the randomness. And the album seems to benefit from this lack of order. The songs of Anchor flow gently into each other and, from the execution point of view, the whole album is refined.
Like the previous album, Anchor was written, recorded and mixed at Zammuto’s self built home located on an idyllic Vermont farm. And as we also can understand from the previous album, Zammuto never stops pushing the envelope to create something new. I think that this his main goal: he always wants to show the listener something different and for sure he reached his target! Zammuto vocals are everywhere in the album and his voice is an additional instrument he alternates with the multitude of sounds he uses in a continuous twist.
Zammuto can be defined as a sort of sonic craftsman and each track of the new album has its own style.
The album kicks of f with ‘Good Graces’ that uses lush synth textures and gives just an idea of what the rest of the album is going to deliver. Variety is for sure a key word to describe Anchor as the art rock of ‘Stop Counting’, the electro-pop sound of ‘Electric Ant’ or the soft vocals over the electronic beats that overlap each other in ‘Great Equator’ demonstrate. I particularly enjoyed the pursuing rhythm of ‘IO’ where synths and funky beats jump around and change rhythm very quickly. This track almost seems schizophrenic. ‘Codebreaker’, instead, is what makes you decide to go for out to dance all night long.
Try to listen Anchor and I’m sure you’ll find several nice moments you’ll like. The entire composition is catchy and sometimes the sound shines. There are many brilliant moments, other where the sound is just nice, other times instead where the chords are dissonant and a bit odd.
The ability of Zammuto’s music is that you never know what is gonna happen and for sure, with Anchor, he didn’t lose the occasion to surprise us creating a mix of sounds that is pretty enjoyable.
Anchor is available in CDs, LP and there’s also a nice LP’s special edition you can find on Temporary Residence Store
