Search - Annuals :: Wet Zoo

The warmth around my heart

E. A Solinas | MD USA | 04/01/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Bands do a lot of weird stuff, but I don't think I've ever seen a band split an EP with... itself. Same band, but different lineup, see?



But that's what the Annuals are doing in the "Wet Zoo" EP, a lovely little collection split between them and their musical alter ego, Sunfold. Each band definitely has its own sound, and you could never mistake one for the other, but the epic guitarpop meshes well with the eccentric pop melodies and wistful balladry.



It opens with a gentle, folky guitar melody swathed in gentle bittersweet strings. And Adam Baker murmurs an exquisite little love song, "In sorest of times/got your thoughts on my mind... you look three states away/I squint through the sun/as you leave with the sparrows at dawn."



He gets a bit more agitated halfway through the song, calling out, "I never deserved you from the start/think you can let loose the walls around my heart" just as the song erupts into a glorious cacophony of aggressive violins, drums and guitars... only to droop back into a swirling orchestral ballad once more.



Somehow the EP never quite recovers from the brilliance of that song. But they do a pretty good job with "Around Your Neck," a devilishly wild rocker filled with chiming guitar. And after that, it's "Just Stay In," a poignant little string-laden ballad riddled with what sounds like harmonica.



And then it's time for the Sunfold songs -- more aggressive, more straightforward, less quirky, and quite heavy on the electric riffs. "Between the Worlds" is a blaze of sputtery, rather repetitive riffs -- it's pleasant, but not terribly memorable. That's reserved for the intense, tightly-woven "Watering Pail," which has the focused energy of a late train trying to make it on time.



Despite having the same lineup, Sunfold and the Annuals don't sound terribly similar -- one is all about the tight guitars and powerpop, while the other is more about eccentric art-rock and orchestral ballads. Nevertheless, you can hear their styles overlap at times -- "Around Your Neck" is more Sunfoldian, while "Watering Pail" has moments of Annualesque oddness.



And really, they're both pretty good -- Sunfold basically sounds like the Annuals embracing a more mainstream pop sound. So we have gentle acoustic guitars and muscular electric ones (as well as some singing, ringing ones), some truly outstanding percussion, and in the Annuals songs an undercurrent of bittersweet, shimmering strings.



Adam Baker and Kenny Florence both put out some good performances as well. Baker gravitates between wistful, melancholy croons and raucous blues-rock passion, while Florence's smooth voice takes on the drama. He doesn't sound quite right in "Between the Worlds," though -- he sounds awkward, as if he's not quite sure that his singing is on time or not.



Sunfold's straightforward powerpop is not quite as endearing as the pop oddity of the Annuals, but "Wet Zoo" is a good way to introduce us to the band's alter ego. Definitely a good listen."