A year after The Mystery Jets’ debut album Making Dens was released in the UK, the US is finally getting its full-length helping of the Eel Pie Island group’s prog-flavored melodic brilliance. Compiling nine tracks from Making Dens, a few b-sides and other odds and ends, Zootime is something like the Boys Don’t Cry to their debut’s Three Imaginary Boys. Starting off with “Diamonds in the Dark,” the band opens with a hit, combining a folky sensibility with a twinkly new wave sound. “Inside Four Walls” recalls the psychedelic post-punk of The Teardrop Explodes, while “The Boy Who Ran Away” surges with the manic energy of The Futureheads. “Soluble in Air” finds the group swelling with the dramatic grandeur of The Arcade Fire, and standout single “You Can’t Fool Me Dennis” soars with bubbly energy. It may be a bit late for us on this side of the pond, but this collection is still a welcome arrival.
~ Jeff Terich
Buy Album from CD Universe
