Ocean Blue is an effort that draws heavily on the rock of the 1960s and 1970s. The charisma of the vocals, confident guitars, and a taut instrumentation unite to make for an effort that will tattoo its melodies deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. Makin’ Good Time is an effort that goes a bit further back to the halcyon era of The Beach Boys and The Animals for its influence. The bright and bouncy sound of Zuffalo here keeps the album’s momentum high as the act continues to provide fans with further information about their influences and styles. A particular high-point during this cut has to be the robust bass line that plays at the bottom of the instrumentation, providing a secondary narrative aspect that interacts well with the lyrical content of the composition.
I See My Future has a jammy demeanor to it and a fantastic secondary set of vocals that further delineates this cut from the rest of this self-titled album. It is during this single that the instrumentation of the band may be the most dense and detailed. It will take fans multiple plays to hear each and every dynamic that the act establishes here.
The one-two approach of Lately and You Didn’t Tell Me provide an emphatic end to a solid album. Lately’s got a more laid-back, 1970s-infused style that will appease fans of Meatloaf and The Steve Miller Band, while You Didn’t Tell Me whips in a bit of psychedelic rock into the mix. While many bands are perfectly okay with winding things down in a general fashion, Zuffalo keeps things intense until the album’s concluding notes. Make sure to get your own copy of the band’s release from your favorite DSP.
We previously covered Zuffalo’s Any Given Speed and Loose Cannon.
Top Tracks: Any Given Speed, Makin’ Good Time, I See My Future
Rating: 8.4/10
Zuffalo – Zuffalo / 2019 Self Released / 9 Tracks / Domain / Facebook /
John Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur as Sargeant, is the founder and editor-in-chief of NeuFutur Magazine, where he has covered independent music, PC hardware, consumer tech, and gaming culture since 1998. With over 25 years of continuous digital publishing experience, he has written thousands of hands-on game and record reviews, conducted in-depth hardware field testing, and analyzed digital media monetization trends. His work prioritizes first-hand evaluation and long-term product testing.
Beats: Independent Music, PC Gaming & Peripherals, Consumer Tech, Webmaster Tools
Testing & Ethics: All hardware, software, and media reviews are conducted through hands-on evaluation in accordance with NeuFutur’s editorial independence standards; sponsored consideration is strictly excluded from editorial ratings.
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