The Zoltars

A lot of bands lose what made them good in the first place when moving from a lo-fi, raw sound into the production of a studio. The Zoltars debut Should I Try Once More? on Sundae Records is a rare example of a move into polished clarity serving to highlight already great songwriting. The massive effects and rough arrangements were a big part of the charm on their self-titled seven-inch. Through reverb soaked, loose guitar, Jared sang about voodoo, and Partying at Bat Cave. Delivered at times in an offhand, barely sung melody, it was a great combination of not taking themselves too seriously while getting at the joke in their own sincere way. They’ve taken the basic elements of their trio, two guitars and drums, and forced the minimal arrangement to shine clearer, cooler, and a little darker across ten tracks. The songwriting itself has remained deliberate and clear cut, with a precision and warmth to the lonesome guitars over their particular brand of primitive rhythm. They combine the repetition and bleakness of The Velvet Underground with a jagged minimalism of Gang of Four. They’ve taken a post punk march and laid Jared’s ’50s era Bobby Darin vocal over it. It’s a little nasal, counteracted with doses of backup harmony, but never quite escapes seeming alone. The melody is delivered in lockstep time and Jared’s singing is so close you can hear him breathing. This ghostly surf sound walks the line between calculated and dehumanizing, like a robot that’s wondering why there’s water coming out of his eyes.

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