For his 3rd album, ‘Evaporating’, Nashville-based zook (aka Zach Tittel) totally reinvented his writing process. He stopped organising. He let the scraps and fragments in, half-thoughts and stray phrases. He writes: “This is an album that breathes in melancholy introspection and releases an outpouring of optimism”.
‘Absolute Misery – A bold move to give the opening track a name like that! Luckily, it has a light, gentle, almost cosy sound. I thought I detected a little dissonance here and there, too, which gave the song some extra spice. There is also a great opening line:
I can see my own brain when I close my eyes
‘Sensation’ – a strange, underwater hard-panned sound that feels like we have been submerged. A strange sensation, indeed! Layer upon layer of guitars that move from calm and sweet to ever-so-slightly terrifying and weird. The vocal sounds great here – smooth and full, with some perfectly judged FX. To me, the melody felt optimistic – friendly, almost.
‘Warm Clouds’ – I really liked the halting, stuttering guitar pattern, and the tight, close feeling of the rhythm section. It opens up a little as the song progresses, but retains a certain spikeyness, with some classic guitar sounds straight out of the 60’s and an eager energy.
‘Disappear’ – A simple, lo-fi synth melody pulses away, and everything is regimented into a fast heartbeat rhythm. Before long, a wild synth-squelch briefly overtakes the track. I love the way each track brings totally different textures and atmospheres with completely unexpected sounds. I would recommend listening to this one, in particular, with headphones. Coincidentally, in the lyrics we hear:
strange as it seems, and strange it must be
headphones in, the world just disappears
‘Sequence’ – Drums, awash with rides are quite far back here – the vocals and guitars brought right into the foreground. Like floating down a lazy river, this track kind of washes over you and feels relaxed and soothing.
‘Decade’ – I thought I could hear hints of George Harrison and Tom Petty in that expressive vocal. Also, a strong sense of momentum. There are wonderfully contrasting sections that appear out of nowhere. It feels like there could be 2 or 3 songs hidden in here.
‘Conversations’ – The low-key vocal felt really warm and intimate to me. The lower notes in particular felt rich and velvety. This is definitely one of my favourite tracks. The unusual use of that repeating sound – like a skipping CD – felt so fresh and creative. Some great drum fills and an arrangement packed with variation make this a real standout.
‘Evaporating’ – The album’s title track is a simple one, not much more than an acoustic guitar and a vocal, but it has some beautifully expressive melodic ideas that really sell the track, and it gave me some Beatles-esque moments.
just below the senses, say where you been
be careful don’t wait, the art of simply knowing to begin
‘So Blue’ – The final track is an epically intimidating 9:50 long – but fear not! I loved the crisp, sharply echoed piano part. A prominent shaker. Lush backing vocals help build the track up layer by layer. You slowly become aware of the pads and the sounds in the background. It’s buttery, and the melodies melt through the cracks until about halfway, when a shimmering beat kicks in and the track simmers for a while. Then, most things really do evaporate, and we are left with a kind of ambient electronic soundscape for the final 5 minutes. It’s a wild idea, but it really doesn’t seem out of place at all. Before long, your mind tunes into the static and the noises. Now, it’s YOU who evaporates and only the track remains until its final fade out. When the track ended, I had a sharpened sense of focus and awareness that felt very odd. I was totally relaxed and at peace – it really felt like I had been meditating!
‘Evaporating’ is an album with an experimental openness, a wonderful variety in tone and structure, and an abundance of sophisticated, nuanced melodies.
zook says ‘Evaporating’ is a third album that feels like a first breath. I think it perfectly captures the thrill of starting over, and the joyful rush of creative rebirth.
Written by Grubby
