The Zutons – You Can Do Anything

Artist: The Zutons
Album: You Can Do Anything
Genre: Indie Rock
Rating: 4 of 5


Start to finish this is a great album. Full of the horns and out of the norm chord progressions that you are use to from the Zutons. I have come to enjoy the uniqueness of their sound and come to expect their odd subject material. I remember first hearing of the Zutons as a spin off of the Corals but now they have managed to define their own unique sound. They even managed to throw in some psychedelic with Family of Leeches this time around.

Unfortunately I don’t believe they will break into the Canadian market until they take a look at their lyrics. Lyrics full of adultery are not going to make it mainstream here in Canada although they might fly in the UK. They seem to have moved on somewhat from the voyeurism that plagued their last album, Tired of Hanging Around. I’m not sure if cheating boyfriends, Dirty Rat, and cheating husbands, Don’t Get Caught, are exactly what will turn on the market here. They even cover the hard life of a male prostitute in Freak.

Although you might think that the lyrics would mean a lot of sinister songs the opposite is true. A song like Always Right Behind You remains upbeat despite being about someone waiting for the right time to strike back at their recently departed love. I rather enjoyed Give Me A Reason which creates a sense of urgency with a quick rolling beat and short phrases yet the song stretches six and a half minutes. Finally they finish off with a country song that you would swear came from Nashville and not England.

All in all I haven’t been disappointed with a Zutons album to date and this is no exception.