Songwriter and vocalist Jared Leibowich of The Zoltars put it quite succinctly when announcing his band’s album release show: “A lot of people were thrown for a loop when our last album came out. This time, you will be even more thrown for a loop.” Which is the whole point, really – the very essence of The Zoltars. Toss those expectations out the window.
Walking Through the Dark, the band’s second full-length, is their most ambitious undertaking to date. Recorded by producer John Michael Landon (Bill Callahan, Okkervil River), it unveils yet another facet of The Zoltars’ evolving musical persona. Although they’ve maintained a certain garage pop/rock foundation, there is a never ending experimentation with different sounds and approaches to pair with the songwriting. The new album is significantly more melodic and dramatic with lush layers and instrumentation not used on previous recordings, like cello and piano. Yet, throughout all the additions and constant exploration, the style is still unmistakably The Zoltars.
Cheers to The Zoltars for another great album. You can see them at their release show tonight at Hotel Vegas, 1502 E. 6th St. And what an amazing local band line-up: Grape St., Simple Circuit, French Inhales and Maine Coons. Seriously. Each and every band on this bill is worth checking out. The music starts at 10 p.m. Recommended.
Special thanks to KUTX music show host John Parsons for the heads-up about The Zoltars’ new album. Awesome.
