THE ZOLAS - Tic Toc Tic

“My balls are coals / I don’t know how much more I can take of this,” he sings. Just one of many not-so-shy lyrics on Tic Toc Tic, the latest album from this Vancouver-based duo, which gives the band a sort of love-me-or-leave-me quality. Essentially piano-dominated prog-pop, The Zolas are a bit reminiscent of bands like The Flaming Lips, but more conventional and effervescent. Describing themselves as a “self-conscious Jeff Buckley,” the Zolas ingeniously meld tempo, rhythm and melody to coin an entertaining, unpredictable style. Tic Toc Tic comes complete with shrieks, unabashed reckonings and uplifting lyrics like “Free what you love / ‘Cause it’s gonna die anyway.” On Marionettes, singer-guitarist Zachary Gray sings, “With me / You’re making the same mistake I made.” It’s a lively, standout track that combines arpeggios with hyperactive bass. Original and amusing, The Zolas put out a pleasurable, if slightly eccentric, tonal plethora that aims for the head, heart and groin.

Published in Volume 64, Number 13 of The Uniter (November 26, 2009)

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