Album Review: Zen Motel - "Even A Horse That's Waiting To Be Glue Needs A Little Sugar Too"

 

Stalwarts of the London scuzz-rock scene, it'd probably be fair to say that Zen Motel are also one of the most hardy groups out there and have been steadily plugging away for close on two decades now. Obviously such a long lifespan has entailed some periods of instability and Even A Horse That's Waiting To Be Glue Needs A Little Sugar Too dates from between the band's second album, 2007's Stations of the Dead and its 2010 follow-up We Want Your Blood. According to frontman Lee Wray, it simply took the band over a decade to finish it, possibly because of their line-up going through an almost total change during this period although a few tracks have surfaced on other EP releases or as bonus tracks.

Even A Horse... (sorry lads but I'm not typing that title out in full every time!) is a good showcase of Zen Motel at their scummiest and snottiest, sounding like a righteous three-way clash between Poison Idea, Turbonegro and the Replacements. While Soul On Fire, Down And Out and Turn It Up, Tear It Down are switchblade-sharp slices of punk nastiness and Put Blood In The Music harks back to the Almighty circa Crank, the more measured and menacing Nobody But You, Live By Night and Kick And Scream show that they've certainly got more than one musical setting and really ram home just what a good band this lot are.

I've been saying for years that Zen Motel are one of those bands who really deserve to have had more of a crack at national recognition than they've got to date. Give this album a crack (at just £3 from their Bandcamp site where you can find several of their other releases, you'd be a fool not to) and see for yourself.

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑 (8/10)