Zook is a project of Nashville, Tennessee-based musician Zach Tittel, and this latest single comes from his third album, Evaporating. The album was shaped after he joined Writers at the Water, an anti-writer’s round gathering at the Springwater Supper Club, organized by John Allingham of The Cherry Blossoms. These sessions aimed to share exploration paths with each other. “I’d come up with something new every week and started writing down or recording the ideas that stuck around. It was low stakes in a way that made it feel like I was starting over,” shared Zach. He took these ideas and shared them with his fellow musicians, and from this exploration, the songs for his new album were created. You can read more about the process on the Bandcamp page.
The first single from Zook’s third album is “a blend of psychedelic, pop, shoegaze and indie rock that tackles the uneasiness of feeling traversing the world.” When I compare this single to the last EP he released, there is definitely a move towards a new sound, and I am enjoying this single much more than the previous EP. We shall see how the whole album will sound, but the story behind creating it sounds interesting.
The new album should “feel like a first breath,” and I can confirm that this newest single feels exactly like that. I have been listening to it on repeat just to fully grasp all the little sounds that are hidden in the song. Whether it is the underlying organ, various little guitar riffs, or the fast-paced, rushed drumming. The song is masterfully crafted, and it feels more authentic. I loved the multi-layered melody composed by multiple instruments. It reminded me of a song I really enjoyed recently, but I couldn’t remember which one it was. Unfortunately, listening to hundreds of songs each month means my musical memory is very short.
If you give this song a few spins, it will start growing on you and making you lust for more. That is proof that Zach created mesmerizing music, and it serves as great anticipation for the whole album, which should be out in less than a week.
The album will be released on vinyl and cassette by Nashville-based label yk records on November 7.
Sharing lyrics below as well.
I can see
my own brain
when I close my eyes
when im half-awake
I can see through my lies
in the flashing lights
other worldly delights
I would slip through this night
but I’d never arrive
you’ve got that wandering feel
how do you know when its real
your problems just follow you down
and you wonder why no ones around
I’ve gone too far
past smashed in cars
every southern bar
looks like cold white stars
when im feeling down
I got downtown
and I get so drunk
and I walk around
and I watch the world
as it whirs on by
at least I know what I have
cuz I feel so alive
you’ve got that wandering feel
how do ya know when its real
inside the wealth of your days
pushing it all away
bad things come
to those who wait
the world won’t be kind
narrow, or too straight
its impossible to know…
Written by Filip Zemcik
