London five-piece, Zulu Winter, may well be labelled as the current buzz band, but rather than panicking, they’re not going to give a flying fig. Their sincerely fantastic music means that they will definitely burn bright, but there’s no way they’re going to burn out. They’re simply too good. It’s a relief to all as we run up to the release of their lead single, Never Leave, which was released on November 7th.
Comparisons with Friendly Fires will rightly bounce around, as this group also contain all the ingredients for the top, with Guy Henderson’s drums rolling around the room on the single. It’s a very strong track, with singer Will Daunt calling out the excellent chorus “I will never leave“, which is sure to have the crowd swept along. It’s the kind of excellent euphoric indie that another fantastic new band, Peace, are aiming for, but Zulu Winter seem to arrive with required polish already applied. Silver Tongue continues the high standards, with a few glacial synths providing an exhilarating wall of sound behind yet another towering tune. Let’s Move Back To Front introduces a matured slower pace, but the easing up loses none of the craft.
On the early evidence this seems like a band that’s clearly able to not only write tunes that are instantly engaging, but that are ready as singles. That’s a rare skill, but a mighty useful one. It’s fine to tread the buzz band path, as it’s a vital channel if you want to direct yourself into the public’s attention, but the real skill is delivering great music upon arrival. It’s this that will keep your fire burning brightly well beyond the initial scrutiny.
