I was going to wait a wee bit longer to do this review but it turns out that my “new” car actually has a working CD player (hurrah!!!) so I’ve had the opportunity to properly listen to a few tunes on my daily commute and ‘We Are Zeitgeist 77’ by, not surprisingly, Zeitgeist 77 just so happens to be one of them!!
This second album from the Teesside Funky Alternative Punksters was released in 2015 and consists of 12 quality tracks, each stamped firmly with Zeitgeist 77’s trademark sound. It’s a sound that’s hard to define but, even though each one is markedly different, when you hear a Zeitgeist 77 track, you know it’s them!
‘Good Morning Teesside’, opens up the proceedings with the wail of air raid sirens (which scared the bejeezus out of my other half the other day when he didn’t realise a CD was playing!) and pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the album. The focus seems to weigh more on the serious side of the band in both dark lyrics and an overall less jovial sound than the first album, although there are some lighthearted moments and the most excellent news is that Braney is still a bastard – phew!! We can all rest easy now!!
I mentioned in my review of Six Million Stories that there were some really clever lyrics going on: and the same is true for this album not to mention some incredibly thought provoking ones too. Take the time to listen carefully, these aren’t just throwaway tunes – there’s a massive amount of thought and feeling behind them all.
Despite the serious content of the tracks, the melodies themselves work to soften the blow of some of the exacting lyrics. Lots of good foot-tappers and ear worms in there! My personal favourites from this album are Good Morning Teesside, Be Free and Mess in a Bottle. I wonder what yours will be? Tell you what, buy the CD and find out!! Check out the band’s facebook page for details of where you can buy it or see them at a gig!
I still haven’t seen Zeitgeist 77 live but I hear that the lads have bagged themselves a pretty excellent gig, supporting the one and only Miss Toyah Willcox at the Longlands Club in Middlesbrough on 31 July – how cool is that?? I’m certain this will be a fabulous gig so get along if you can – unbelievably I have another gig that night but I will get to see them one of these fine days!!
