Perhaps its something subliminal about being a cog in a juggernaut that peddles the likes of David Guetta and Professor Green that pushed me to go and check out some unsigned music for the first time in an age. Or indeed, just the chance to relive a hobby that now personally seems to be from a bygone era, long, long ago. Well, fair enough, there’s probably always been something very studenty about going to ‘unsigned’ or ‘underground’ gigs etc (both loathsome terms) Maybe so, maybe not. But that doesn’t neccessarily mean you have to be a teeny bit snobbish about it. So when I got the chance to check out Zulu Winter at the Shacklewell Arms, I said why the hell not.
Thankfully, Zulu Winter verge more on the professional side of an unheralded act, and judging from the most superficial aspects, their (impossibly trendy) fanbase, and their image, they seem tailor and ready made for the industry (or independent label territory) already. A five piece led by singer/guitarist Will Daunt, and formerly known as The Molotovs, they took some time out, recrafted their sound, and have emerged, refreshed and remodelled as Zulu Winter. With a measured balance of style and substance, on first impression, they appear tight, and boast a clear melodic sensibility. There is a serious confidence throughout, and they exude professionalism from each member. On first impression, the music is certainly adept, but they do have an unmistakenly current sound. There’s an immediate temptation to compare, due to clear similarities to Twin Shadow, Wild Beasts and Foals in their sound, which is obviously prime aural chic right now, and dangerous territory to be in if your aspiring to carve out your own niche sound.
That said, the band are far from anodine, and they have sizeable assets to underpin what they’re all about. Daunt seems almost like a sharper, more incisive Alex Kapranos, but with more intriguing stories the tell and is a without a shadow of a doubt an innate frontman, with the voice to go with it. The underlying edge to their sound are the consistently bouncy basslines, which add a John Taylor esque hint of Duran Duran dancefloor sensibility. Mass head nodding and feet tapping were a given throughout the crowd on each track. No bad thing obviously. Even with serious lyrical content and Joy Division keys, its nice to have a bit of oneupmanship on your more morose rivals with some core dance infused rhythm. Everybody loves a bit of that, don’t they? The crowd at the Shacklewell Arms seemed to think so anyway.
Although tight in aspects, and boasting some clear strengths, perhaps sharper, more muscly drums would fill out their sound, and you always got the impression the band were at their best when they let loose both musically, and in terms of their on stage personas. Such glimpses showed real promise, excitement and an energy permeating throughout the venue. But of course, it was only their first gig back with new material, illustrated by a relatively short set, and probably constrained by the venue’s sound issues. Ultimately, and to be fair and objective, this was just a taster of a band that is bound to improve at a pretty rapid rate, and exploit some of the obviously exciting potential within. A pretty impressive first outing on the whole, and it should be intriguing to see where they take things from here…
And from a selfish and irrelevant view, they’ve certainly done enough to reignite my own interest in some unsigned/’underground’ acts, which is long overdue. Check them out here:
