Woke up today and saw that Cut Copy’s new album Zonoscope had leaked. I absolutely love the dance rock that Cut Copy bring to the table, and am really looking forward to the new album. I figured what better album to live blog the leak of. With that said, I’m going to buy it on vinyl when it comes out, and I will try and make their next NYC show. You can pre-order it from itunes right here.
So let’s see how the first listen is:
1. Need You Now – This is a sexy start. Dan’s vocals sound very 80s. This sounds like a trip through a dreamy club while on e. Dreamy is the best way to describe this. This just glorious sounding dance rock. Some timely female vocals to add to it’s wonderful climax. What a way to kick off an album. I have a good feeling about the rest of Zonoscope, if this is any indication how the rest of the album is. Magical start. 2:06 p.m.
2. Take Me Over – I’ve been playing this non-stop ever since it came out. This song is everything I love about Cut Copy. Amazing bassline, lush vocals, big fat chorus. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think they changed the song a bit from it’s first release. I think the part before the chorus was altered a bit. Either way, this song holds up just as well, if not better, than it did when we first heard it. Absolute gold. 2:13 p.m.
3. Where I’m Going – Nice transition into this from “Take Me Over”. The band is always good at doing that. This sounds a bit different too, but the changes in the mix help. This one still finds ways to continue to grow on me. Don’t tell me you don’t feel the same? 2:21 p.m.
4. Pharaohs & Pyramids – Turn the bass up loud for this one. This is one of the most club ready songs that they’ve ever created. This needs to be blasted with the lights off and the strobe lights/fog machines turned on. The production is the shining star here. Ah take in the glorious breakdown around 3:40. 2:26 p.m.
5. Blink And You’ll Miss A Revolution – I remember hearing this one live, and absolutely loving it. It sounds even better recorded, and that’s saying a lot, trust me. I think this has a chance of being the standout track for a lot of people, myself included. From the dirty, throbbing bassline, to the high soaring chorus, this one’s a winner. 2:30 p.m.
6. Strange Nostalgia For The Future – A slow instrumental track that allows us to breath a little. Stretch your legs, and get ready to dance some more. 2:32 p.m.
7. This Is All We’ve Got – Druggy vocals lead the way for this one. This is one of the more psychedelic rock tracks that we’ve heard from them. Trippy stuff. I think I’m gonna need to spend more time with this one and let it grow. It has plenty of bright spots but I need to absorb it all. Cool song, though. 2:37 p.m.
8. Alisa – I think we heard previews of this in the studio videos that they posted. First thought: Tight, tight, bassline. You come to expect them from Cut Copy, and they keep delivering them in style. Lots of interesting parts. Recognize that scream of “Alisa” through the guitar from the videos. 2:41 p.m.
9. Hanging Onto Every Heartbeat – Best way to describe this so far is very chill. The synths sound magical. Pretty nice. 2:47 p.m.
10. Corner Of The Sky – Funky bass, tribal sounding percussion, with some smooth vocals that sounds lost and haunted. Like this one quite a bit. The vocals are the hero of this track. I think this one could see a lot of cool remixes if done right. 2:51 p.m.
11. Sun God – Here we are at the last track, an intimidating 15 minutes long. Let’s see where this one takes us.. Well its long and there’s a lot of instrumental to take in. It does have legs though, and I think this was a bold move. Does it pay off? I don’t know if I can say yet. Only time will tell. 3:07 p.m.
Alright, so there you have it. After one listen I can safely say Cut Copy are back. Stop right now if your asking if it’s as good as In Ghost Colours, because there’s no point. This is a good album in it’s own right. They experiment with some now sounds here and it pays off. There are some songs that are better than others, and some that need to grow on me. It was a very solid first listen. I’m excited to listen some more so I can peel some more layers and see the album for what it really is.
If you’ve listened to it as well, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear what you think.
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