Zoo Zero-‘Zoo Zero.’ (Crest Cont. Records)

2013 has seen so many comebacks and returns (quite a few of them welcome, it must be said) that it must feel harder than ever to get your music heard and written about if you’re a new act. Especially if you’re a band like Zoo Zero.

Zoo Zero have this week unleashed their debut album, and rather fine it is, too. At barely more than half an hour and eight tracks long, it doesn’t mess around, but shows how far you can take the traditions of leftfield experimental rock (Amon Duul, Sonic Youth and This Heat are mentioned on the press release and I can’t argue with that) and go some place with them. In fact, the album’s weakest track ‘Moon Communique’ is only weak in that it seems like the most straight-ahead rock song on here.

But book-ended by ‘Fraktion’ and ‘Spinning Pretty’ there’s a sense that here’s a band who can write songs and take very cool record collections and really turn those songs inside out. Maybe leave on of those comebacks and check this out instead?

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Zoo Zero is out now on Crest Cont. Records