Review: Zula “This Hopeful”

14 Nov 2013 — Henry Schiller

Brooklyn's Zula (stylized in a way that this blog writing platform cannot comprehend) have just released their debut album This Hopeful. Though it does indicate allegiance to a certain Brooklyn-born aesthetic, This Hopeful is equally suggestive of an infatuation with a certain British tendency to layer guitar rock over dub beats. And thus, This Hopeful proves to be an invigorated amalgamation of grimy trip hop and lashing, spaced out guitar jams; one that never feels like it’s reaching too aggressively to capture something a la mode.

The dark, trip hopping “This Hopeful” sort of reminds me of Clinic, but with an aquatic psych sensibility that literally oozes from the guitars. Indeed, much of Zula’s sound seems entrenched in the hazy, post-Radiohead psych vibe of groups like Clinic or the loftier Tame Impala. The extravagant melodic contours of “NRGZ” – hidden as they are behind blindsiding rhythmic moods –are especially in the spirit of the latter. “Poison”, on the other hand, sounds like a twisted blend of Placebo and Scott Walker, while “And More Business” is trippy dance pop all twined up in Eno-esque flair.

This Hopeful is speckled with roving, pseudo-experimental non-lyrical fare, such as the anticipation-inducing opener “Loss Less”, and the Mount Kimbie-esque “Subway Safari". These songs do a great job of supporting This Hopeful’s meticulous architecture, and create an interesting dialogue between themselves and the album's more confrontational tracks. This Hopeful builds a space all its own out of a familiarity with a broad range of indie topics and stylistic associations. You can pick it up here; follow Zula on Facebook for indispensible gig info.