Overlooked Records of 2012: Zammuto

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Zammuto – Zammuto

When The Books broke up, music fans mourned. The band produced some of the most thoughtful, inspiring, and creative music of this generation between Nick Zammuto‰’s found-sound samples and Paul De Jong‰’s cello loops. Zammuto is Nick‰’s first solo project – backed by a full band and a sense of humor – and the album is an utter joy.

Beginning with a bouncy opener called “Yay‰” and moving into the cleverly named “Groan Man, Don‰’t Cry‰” (which includes one of the best guitar riffs of the year) Zammuto is a sincerely happy LP. The introspective nature of The Books is replaced with cheery, yet trenchant wit in “Zebra Butt‰Û, a song that pokes fun at the apathy of humanity using a scolding female voice and “F U C-3PO‰Û, whose title says a lot. And the best part is Nick‰’s beautifully complex sensibility remains in tact and show through on the album with the two closing tracks “The Shape of Things to Come‰” and “Full Fading‰Û.

Despite the end of his astounding band, Nick Zammuto‰’s passion as a musician will keep fans with intelligent music for years to come.

By Spencer Swan