Sometimes records grow on us – such is the case for Zula’s "This Hopeful," released in October 2013.
There are two sides to psychedelia: dream and hallucination. Shoegazer and Dream Pop embrace the first, Psych Rock the second. Brooklyn band Zula perfectly blend both. The band finds itself at home when it’s time to engage in sonic experimentations mostly fueled by frantic stomping on guitar effect pedals ("This Hopeful"), but can deliver – a few minutes later – the perfectly placid dreamy melody of NRGZ. These are the two stronger songs in the band’s debut LP "This Hopeful" (although we also dig "Poison," streaming below), an album that never ceases to surprise, and that showcases a band that dares to explore every possibility given by every single musical element at their disposal, without renegading neither melody nor noise, but admirably succeeding in retaining a stylistic identity in the process.
Read The Deli’s interview with Zula from earlier in 2014 + see them live at CMJ next week, it shouldn’t be hard to fit into your schedule, they are playing seven shows!