Zuider Zee - Zeenith (2018)

2018 archive release. An early/mid-1970s group that sound like a hybrid between T-Rex and Big Star, might sound like a band that should be universally adored but Memphis' Zuider Zee have remained something of an untapped curiosity. Until now. With this first time release of the album Zeenith, recorded between 1972 and '74 and featuring all previously unheard tracks, the band should no longer be a boxed-up mystery. Prior to Zeenith, Zuider Zee's 1975 self-titled LP was the only record out there that existed. Released on Columbia, it was hailed as a true great power pop record of the time by groups such as Cheap Trick. Zuider Zee never quite took off and dissolved into the ether of cult band land. However, an untold chapter of the group's history has now been unearthed as Light In The Attic's ability to pluck gold from seemingly nowhere continues on this release. Comprised entirely of previously unreleased tracks, Zeenith is an album in which sugar-coated glam stomp nestles up alongside Mersey beat and where rousing power pop, crunchy rock and a undercurrent of pop-peppered psychedelia all merge seamlessly. Zeenith feels like a band at that magical juncture between a group perfecting their craft whilst still driven by wide-eyed optimism, youthful energy and a sense of fun that radiates throughout every note played. Ultimately, this was at the core of Zuider Zee's aims. Something that still feels pertinent over 40 years since it was created.