With a bevy of impressive credentials
behind them, hard-working DIY-ers Zelazowa have put out this
substantial album as a follow-up to their 2006 Polymorph EP.
The name of the game here is polished, hook-laden rock music, and
these four don't disappoint on that front. Certainly, Elephants on
a Mousehunt has the propensity to be a bit bland at times, as on
by-the-numbers "Numbers," nineties-esque grunger "Fade Too," and flat
"Like Swine for Words." But they also do a lot of things right. "You
Say Love" is the colossal single on tap here, relying on a breezily
jerky guitar line and strung up irresistibly with a breathtaking
break-through chorus. Unmistakable are the
spattery vocal chords of Bryan Weber, whose yowl takes a bit of
acclimation but lends a charming uniqueness to the proceedings.
Auxiliary favourites include the twangy bliss of "Baby Blue (Listening
to the Earth Shift)," blazing "Autumn," and self-descriptive "Madama
Wrecking Ball."
These folks aren't rewriting books, but
they imbue their songs with sufficient dynamism and hooks to make
Elephants on a Mousehunt the type of record that actually deserves
to be played on the radio. I prefer these folks to Nickelback
or Chris Cornell or whatever gets played on alternative rock
stations these days – both because Zelazowa are somewhat
interesting and because, put simply, they deserve it.
