Yahoo! Music Album Review

Released on 02/06/08
Label: Deltasonic

The Zutons very nearly side-stepped the inevitable Coral vs Zutons Scouse label mates comparisons in 2003 when they chose not to immediately follow-up their fairly lacklustre "Creepin' & A Crawlin'" single with a debut album. Instead, they took a year off to hone their craft on the road, so that when "Who Killed...The Zutons" appeared the following year some where heard to whisper that they might have been - careful now - better than The Coral.

With the passing of time, both bands have dulled their dizzying eclecticism. The Coral's latest, last year's "Roots & Echoes", limped out as an incredibly dull excursion in '60s jangle pop, while The Zutons have gone off in the other direction, jumping a decade and somewhat blunting their subtleties with a '70s stomp. Guitarist Boyan Chowdury may have left last year, but it doesn't seem to have moved the goalposts much.

That said, "You Can Do Anything" sees The Zutons somewhat reach back into their bag of who-knows-what, going some way to reminded us why they endeared themselves to us in the first place. Though there's not another "Valerie" to garner Winehouse & Ronson patronage, "What's Your Problem" screams summer single along with the best of all British festival chantalongs, while "Freak" is an infectious tale of a gigolo who services pensioners, living a hand-to-mouth (as it were) existence, getting his "money through love".

Elsewhere, opener "Harder & Harder" touches upon Supergrass at their most Bolan-equse with, perhaps oddly, even a few cascading Jonny Greenwood guitar lines (though only a few, mind). The recycling doesn't quite work on first single "Always Right Behind You", however, which falls on the wrong side of a Slade/Sweet glamathon, but they do keep themselves in check with closer "Little Red Door" and its wink at early '70s West Coast Americana.

As The Zutons have matured, it seems they find their greatest strength through restraint. Dave McCabe's economic lyrics help to pick up the slack just when you feel you've heard this all before; and while there's been little place for the saxophone in modern rock since Roxy Music, Abi Harding has come along to prove that less really is more (while lifting an Andy Mackay sax riff on "Give Me A Reason" in the process).

"You Can Do Anything" tries its hardest to prove you really can, even if you're largely reinventing the wheel. Its eclecticism does make for disjointed listening though, which almost distracts from their songwriting skills. But ultimately it's all so assuredly done that The Zutons make it almost impossible to not be swept along for the ride.

    by Jason Draper