Emily Zuzik & Tim Lefebvre – Domestic Blitz (Independent)
Great title! (and the music isn’t half bad either, if you take out four of the middle tracks). Dancy, moody, strong electronic arrangements, sexy vocals... and then it all gets a little too streetwise for comfort. From track 5, “Walk Away”, which hits the soul / R&B button a little too repetitively, through to “I’ve Got My PHD” (speeding along as if its a skateboarder going down the Matterhorn… or something!), we get four tracks that have hip-chick lyrics and a wise-ass street savvy that doesn’t gel at all, with a pounding keyboards that just keeps on keepin’ on, sadly.

It’s a real pity, because before this mid-term development (decrease actually) there is buoyancy to the music, vibrant but not brash, with opener “Higher Than Me” reminiscent of Hooverphonic at their best (with a better vocal); “Overwhelmed” ups the pace without leaving the listener behind, “You Didn’t Fight Fair” trip hops this break up message in a tight musical passage, and “West Coast East Coast” has some neat time signature changes, with the powerful voice of Emily hitting full stride.

You have to wait ‘til the end, after the juggernaut tracks in the middle, for the finest piece on the album - “Matter Of Time” - a slow tempo, lush vocal track, with gentle keyboard washes giving way to a guitar solo that fits the mood perfectly. So, a suggestion: avoid the harsh centre and stick to the more mellow surroundings. It is worth the effort.
www.myspace.com/mzelectronica
Kev A.

EMILY ZUZIK – HIGHER THAN ME

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