Search - Zincs :: Black Pompadour

Named partly after the haircut that English singer/songwriter James Elkington aspired to construct for himself during his teenage years, Black Pompadour was recorded and mixed by John McEntire at Soma E.M.S. with additional recording being handled by Mark Greenberg at Mayfair Studios. All instruments were played by The Zincs: Nathaniel Braddock on guitar and unprepared piano, Nick Macri on bass and saxophone octet, Jason Toth on drums and James Elkington singing, writing the songs and making most of the other noises. Edith Frost sang on three of the songs; "Hamstrung and Juvenile", "Rice Scars" and "Lost Solid Colours". This last song was a duet that Edith had performed with The Zincs during their spring tour together in 2006. The Zincs have succeeded in marrying their classic song-forms with a brighter electric sound to make a vital album for the times. What makes them such a singular band is how they weave such dark prose into their beautiful melodies, a reward that the casual listener could miss on first hearing. From the electric chimes of "Coward's Corral" to the pulsing synthesizers of "Rice Scars", Black Pompadour dashes expectations like a bullet through a fish-bowl and represents that rare thing amongst groups, a genuine progression.