Reviews

Let's be quite clear about this from the start: Zenith are fantastic.

Between them, Sam Hudson and John Tierney have crafted a selection of exquisite classics in the making.

The duo have clearly defined ideas of exactly what they want from their songs, and have gone about executing each idea with the detailed precision of a master jeweller.

Local Produce

The last time I heard a collection of locally produced songs performed and recorded with such a standard was when I first started reviewing Gloucestershire music in 2002.

The band then were Silverman. Their album, 'Speed of Life Part 2' (there was never a Part 1) is still worth repeated listens.

Zenith share a similar passion, a shared eye for detail and an amazing power to tug at heart strings you never even knew you had.

John Tierney

Bristol (and French) Fashion

For more famous comparisons you might want to refer to Portishead, Massive Attack and Air.

Zenith's music is chilled out music well suited to the post-night out return home. But even the briefest, most cursory of listens will show that these songs are sung with more than a post partying high in mind.

There is much sadness and despair in these lyrics. They are songs about relationships gone wrong, about a sense of immense despair and loneliness.

If Bridget Jones had a decent taste in music she'd be putting away 'All By Myself' and putting on a Zenith song with which to sob over Mark Darcy and Daniel Cleaver.

Hurt

"What makes a man hurt the way that you hurt?" is the opening line from 'Fade', the first (and best) track currently listed on Zenith's MySpace page.

It's a song filled with barely concealed anger, bitter resentment and an aching sense of betrayal.

These aren't just words being sung from a page: they are feelings wrenched from the gut.

The theme returns in songs like 'Where Do We Meet?', which elegises a doomed relationship and 'Inside of Me' - a song that charts the conflicting emotions felt by someone torn between helping the one she loves and attending to her own important needs.

Sam Hudson

Beauty

The music throughout these songs completes the lyrics beautifully. 'Inside of Me' is delivered against a stark guitar backdrop and an eerie echoing backdrop that is also found on 'Let Me Be With You'.

The result in both songs gives a sense of ethereal majesty.

In the latter its even possible to detect a direct lineage from monastic chanting in a mediaeval cloister through to the trip hop beats usually found emanating from somewhere around Bristol.

The echoes and hushed tones turn listening to Zenith into almost a sacred experience.

Elsewhere, gorgeous instrumentation is used to amazing effect.

'Where Do We Meet' has a sumptuous vibraphone accompaniment which is later joined a haunting synthesised string/Mellotron effect (a sound usually reserved Sundae Club albums).

It all adds together to produce the most delicate of songs: subtle and beautiful.

Make no mistake: Zenith have kicked off 2009 with a fantastic start. The band aren't gigging at the moment so we'll just have to make do with the music available on the EP and MySpace page.

Hopefully it won't be too long before we have more of the gorgeous same. I'm hooked.

This article is an external contribution and expresses a personal opinion, not necessarily the views of the BBC.

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If you're involved in the Gloucestershire music scene and you would like Stephen to review your music, please feel free to get in touch. Either email gloucestershire@bbc.co.uk or send your album and a bit about yourself to:

BBC Gloucestershire Introducing...
London Road
Gloucester
GL1 1SW

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