Zero 7 - The Garden
General Description
Artist/Band: Zero 7
Album Title: The Garden
Year: 2006
They’re back!
How I Got Into This Music
Read my other reviews about Zero 7.. A bit late with the review, due to great weather and getting used to this album ;o). Hieronymus Fox just told me today that he finally got used to the album and also started nagging me about my lack of updates (with friends like these, who needs a mother-in-law? heheh..)
Album credits at artistdirect.com || Google Search: Other reviews of The Garden || This album’s lyrics from the nice people at Alwaysontherun.net
Tracks that got my attention:
Futures
Seriously reminds me of the Ghost Ship In A Storm track on Zero 7’s effort for AnotherLateNight.. Singer José González sure has that same Jim O’Rourke quality
Throw It All Away
Sia’s 
back with a great track, funny lyrics, Summertime beach drive!
Seeing Things
Annoying ringtone..
Pageant of the Bizarre
God I love this track! It’s the children song melancholy thingy working perfectly and Sia’s great voice.
You’re My Flame
Sometimes this track gets on my nerves, sometimes it just gets me up and going. Love the lyrics:
You’re just dodging all the friendly fire
You’re never dressed in the right attire
You miss the start of every game
You’re my flame
Left Behind
wow.. Life’s little fucking mysteries: how can such a simple setup of a song be so incredibly beautiful and touching? Well? WELL?!??!? Uhm..
Dunno either.. Just know it’s absolute sunshine.. Thank you, Mister González, the best one minute and fifteen seconds ever spent in my life.
Scared to think away the cheer
Looking back in a mirror
It all becomes clear
The views are not the same
I see sun, you see rain
Today
Another one of those tracks that totally baffle me: a cheap Casio wannabe keyboard sound, but it still works!
Your Place
Henry Binns’ doing the vocals on this track and it’s eerie and lovely. The second part of this song is a four minute instrumental that takes you to all kinds of places, soundscape-wise, but mostly it takes you back to the Zero 7 Sound (if there is such a thing) of their previous albums.
Crosses
Another one to outrun the Energizer Bunny! Great buildup of tempo, those thick violins, sweet and soothing vocals: this is one of the ultimate cityscape songs..
Waiting To Die
Heheh.. Puts a smile on my face, this one.. Cloud and Silver Lining, this one.. Bright Side Of Life, this one..
Look what a terrible mess that we’ve made
The sun beats us down as we search for the shade
And, yes, it is true, death is everyone’s fate
But we’ve made it this far, it’s time to celebrate
Conclusion
Took me quite some time to review these guys, sorry about that. What can I say? They’re back with a great album: not exactly what you’d expect after the first two records, but that a very good thing coz I was kinda afraid I’d get bored after a while. No earth-shattering changes (well, besides the absence of three of their vocalists, including Mozes), but just enough to make you notice, just enough to make you wanna sit down and really, really listen. Serious listening to easy-listening music is kinda contradictory, but they get away with it. Love it!
Rating: 
(nuff said..)
