The Zombies: Breathe Out, Breathe In

The Zombies: Breathe Out, Breathe In
In the 1960s, The Zombies’ debut single “She’s Not There” hit number two in the US. The band managed to produce two top 100 before splitting in 1968. People largely thought they had heard the last of the Zombies but as we all know, Zombies rise again. The group reunited in 1991 and since that time, they have released three albums, the latest of which is Breathe Out, Breathe In.
In their heyday, the Zombies made psychedelic baroque pop but in their re-emergence, the group seems to be veering closer and closer to Steely Dan. The album’s title track and opener features piano befit of a Randy Newman theme song and syncopated drumming that is more commonly used in jazz than in rock music. Perhaps the oddest part of the song is the effect put on the vocals which gives it the slightest tinge of psychedelic feel. While the song does feature the type of catchy hooks the Zombies were known for, the song’s pathos is nothing like the Zombies of old.
The major key to enjoying the new Zombies is how much the listening holds on to expectations. If the listener has the expectation of hearing psychedelic pop masters at work, they will be sorely disappointed. If the listener has no expectations, then they may be pleasantly surprised to hear some poppy adult contemporary. But for the most part, I can not imagine the Zombies long held fans approving of their current output.
Rating: 5.3/10
MP3: The Zombies “Breathe Out, Breathe In”
Buy: iTunes

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