Yes, fair enough, The Zen Arcade are not a bunch of youngsters who just popped out of nowhere. Three of them were in The Strypes and if you haven't been paying attention, The Strypes were a big deal. Critically acclaimed and applauded by lots of very famous people including Noel Gallagher and Alice Fuckin' Cooper for starters, The Strypes were a fantastic band. I was sad to hear they were breaking up. (like really sad) Unfortunately, they didn't seem to get the success they deserved. Their first album, Snapshot, was an instant classic and I really loved their other evolving albums too, all the way to the cool and catchy song with the kick ass middle 8, How Could I Forget, from the Almost True EP.
I saw them on tour in a tiny club before they released their last full length album, Spitting Image. They sounded amazing. Dirty and raw and full of punk energy with a Thin Lizzy vibe thrown in. There was even a volatile energy on stage. Possibly to be expected from four young lads who'd been in each other's pockets since they were introduced to Taytos and then ended up on Letterman. (WOW). The album Spitting Image lacked the energy of the live show and I feel they were possibly let down by management at some stage. I mean, they should have been a huge success. The songs were there but the chart success didn't follow. They somehow dodged radio success. Is that a good thing? You could argue it is but not when I am robbed of ever getting more new music from them.
So anyway. It's 2021 so fuck The Strypes (for now) as it's all about The Zen Arcade. Basically, it's the singer, the drummer and the bass player from The Strypes with some new cool friends. Their first single, Don't Say A Word is a really slick and cool snappy song. A party song. A rocker with a punk pop lick. It's not new or original sounding compared to Spitting Image, but it's the first recording I've heard from The Zen Arcade and I like it. I look forward to following what direction they take when an album follows. Definitely one to watch.
They also have a cool podcast called Higher Fidelity and great regular social media updates so check them out! They seem like a really sound bunch and I hope it goes well for them.
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