Where we start is “Above The Air…”
The vocals are soft, swishing, almost like a welcoming spring breeze, rising upon a marching beat and rattling chimes. It’s a sparse intro but nonetheless stirring and ultimately ascendant, you feel like you’re being taken somewhere and through the varyingly vague/vivid lyrics, you can almost see that place. Through the rhythms, the hushing harmonies, the ambient synth effects seeming to glitter and the bass seeming to babble meditatively, you can almost feel that place.
Welcome to Zoos of Berlin’s second full length album – Lucifer In The Rain (on Time No Place).
“It is certainly our intention for the lyrics to convey a sense of place,” says co-lead singer/bassist Dan Clark. “Our songs are not usually narrative in a conventional sense…”
True. Listen as close as you can to the atmospheric-smeared verses and you’ll feel the sweet disorientations offered only in dreams or freestyle poetry.
“But we hope that the effect,” Clark continues, “will produce an image – call it a stage set – where the listener will see his or her impressions acted out.”
Your own art-pop theatre, unveiled in your stage in charmingly surreal choreography, to a tastefully danceable beat and backlit with subtle flares of synth effects.
“Really, it is the same for us as we write the lyrics or as we work on a musical arrangement,” Clark says (with singer Trevor Naud. The group, who self-produced what’s proving to be their most realized work to date, also includes keyboardist Will Yates and Collin Dupuis on drums (and on the boards). “We know we’re succeeding when the effect is both surprising and familiar.”
You’re liking what you hear, maybe? But you’re asking yourself: Who is this band and why haven’t I heard of them yet?
“Part of the reason,” says Yates, “we’re not a heavily ‘exposed’ band I s that we’re all very busy with life outside the band. We certainly wouldn’t have anything against being a little more productive…”
Extra-band commitments, begrudgingly unavoidable as they are, can slow things down. Doubly so, though, when the artists involved are as meticulous as Zoos can be, when crafting these dreamy impressions. “But that can make the time we are able to work together all the more gratifying,” says Yates of the time-in-between.
But, Yates says, they know how fickle the music business can be; certainly not so willing to wait for the perfect creation, it sometimes seems.
“All we can do is make music at the pace that we’re capable of, and be happy with the results.”
“Our hearts,” says Clark, “are in making the artifact.” Thus, when they are able to get back together (with some members living out of state,) they use the time mostly in the studio, as opposed to getting out onto a bar’s stage (or in a gallery-space, maybe) to perform live. “We’ve never deliberately made things easy for ourselves, but it’s getting easier nonetheless.”
“That’s meant a natural growth into other forms; nothing has been cut down, odd weeds are coming up between the cracks in the sidewalk. Back to the land.”
Keep your eyes peeled for a music video for “Above The Air.” Currently, the group’s piecing together their third full length LP, but the vision hasn’t taken shape yet. If they squint though, bend their ears a bit, they can see it. They can hear it.
