Zammuto

Sprouting from the same mind that created the Books - one of the most acclaimed and innovative groups of the past decade - Zammuto marks a deep reinvention of the highly detailed, genre-defying spirit that made seminal albums such asThe Lemon of Pink and The Way Out possible. Given the Books' success as an experimental collage-pop project, founder and namesake Nick Zammuto could have comfortably extended that thread. Instead he has given us a record that is progressive and forward-looking, intense and driven, with hugely varied rhythms and melodies. The whispered, folksy vocals that became a trademark of the Books are for the most part shed in favor of an uncharacteristically confident, soaring delivery, often fueled by a wide array of vocal effects. The result is a man-machine sensitivity that ultimately enhances the songs' emotional intensity. With dense and beautiful string arrangements by Gene Back (the Books) and brain-warping drum performances by Sean Dixon, the radical and varied sound of Zammuto leaps out of speakers with a searing directness. Making music that sounds and feels like no one else is nothing new for Zammuto, but making music that doesn't even sound like his own past is a whole other impressive feat in itself. shop.temporaryresidence.com/trr209

Following the breakup of the Books earlier this year, Nick Zammuto's self-titled debut finds him singing and playing his heart out through an array of computer dressing.

Nick Zammuto draws back the creative curtai, replacing reticent artsiness with genuine, unvarnished emotion for the continuation of his imaginative musical story.

Watching Nick Zammuto at his eco-ranch home in Vermont, one cannot help but be taken by the heartfelt beauty of it all:…