Hi Pal,
Welcome to another review where I tell you how I feel about a specific album or EP release. We will check out a glass, darkly by Zambroa in today's edition.
“Shoegaze-y Zambroa is always my favourite Zambroa” is a sentiment I’ve often expressed in this newsletter. While I can’t categorically claim to be the reason for this EP’s existence, I can say that I finally got what I wanted…sort of.
Before we get too carried away, I have to introduce Zambroa to folks who are new here. Zambroa is a musical project by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Josiah Strys. He generally tends to create music that fits into a number of genre classifications like indie pop, shoegaze, indie rock, and alternative folk. His eclectic approach gives him a degree of unpredictability that I love and I’m always excited for whatever he does next.
His 2022 EP, By What Standard, was a synth-heavy indie pop record with slight experimental hip-hop undertones in some parts, and was one of my highlights of that year [see review here]. Yet, it is quite apparent that this year, we are moving in a different direction.
This short EP kicks off with “unshaken (119)”, a reworked version of a song with a similar title on his 2018 album, Battles. The previous iteration of the tune is accompanied by mostly keyboard synths and minimal production. This version is a testament to how much the artist has grown over the years. With a significant key change that allows his voice to shine through, this new version has an airy quality to it with drony guitars and a deliberate focus on the cymbals in the drumming.
“Go To Church” is an indie pop tune at its heart but the ethereal quality of its production along with the soothing “wu” chants that follow the chorus give it strong dream pop leanings. It’s one of hardest hitting songs from a lyrical standpoint, reminding us of the place and purpose of the church as the body of Christ. He dropped it a few months ago and I’m still haunted by the words, “…you will be known by your love, you will be known by your love for one another…”
“Conquest (a romans 7:15 kind of thing)” is such a chill song. It’s one of those songs that can be described as “a night drive on a lonely road” type of tune. Lyrically, as the Scripture in its title alludes to, it’s a song about the struggle to do the right thing. More than that, it’s reminds us that those in Christ are forgiven for all the wrongs they have done.
“Zeitgeist” is my favourite song on this EP, and I believe it is objectively the best song here. The more I listen, the more I’m convinced that it is the song that best captures the essence of this record. It’s a song of resignation to faith rather than to fate. In the verses, Strys describes scenarios that reflect the spirit of the times that we live in. Still, it is both poignant and refreshing for him to conclude these thoughts by the simple line in the chorus that says, “…do what you must with us, we are dust…”
Bringing this to an end is “Secret Heart”, which starts off as a simple acoustic tune as he sings:
What am I hiding?
Come and search every part
All my thoughts and my desires
You reveal my secret heart
It’s a short song of two sections and soon after, the synths and guitars join in to bring the tune to a close. Here, he sings David’s words in Psalm 51:
Create in me a clean heart oh God
And renew a right spirit within me
It is interesting to me that I would spend much time speaking about a song which is less than 3 minutes long, but, in some ways, this is what Zambroa is all about.
Josiah Strys has always focused on creating music that is doctrinally sound and reflects Biblical values. For this reason, Zambroa does not need to release long projects for them to be impactful. Don’t get me wrong; I will be first in line when he releases his next full-length album. Still, I can’t help appreciating the fact that his approach to song crafting makes his music resonates with me effortlessly.
Genre(s): Shoegaze, Indie Pop
RATING
: 4/5
Listen Here:
Apple Music • Deezer • Other Links
Connect with Zambroa:
Instagram • Facebook • Twitter
That’s it for today.
Catch you soon!
Talk to me about your favourite songs on the EP. Also, let me know of any other albums or EPs you’d like me to review.
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