EP Review: Ziegler Co: Roll Up

As much as going to review a great band is brilliant, I pretty much know what I’m going to get. So being surprised and seeing something you weren’t really expecting can often be one of the highlights of the night, and that is exactly what happened a few short weeks ago. That is because I saw a beautifully eclectic performance from a band who by the name Ziegler Co.

Currently based in South East London Adam J. Morgan, Daniel Priddle, Fraser Rieley and Peter Radcliff made the trip up to Birmingham that night and put on an incredibly impressive live set, full of a mix of styles and top musicianship. So obviously it would have been poor form on my part had I not made efforts to get my hands on some recordings to give some spotlight to on here.

Having seen the live set my expectations were really quite high when I sat down to listen to their debut EP Roll Up and I’m happy to say that it was everything that I hoped it would be.

Opening track ‘Fall In’ is short and sweet clocking in at just over 2 and a half minutes but it sets the tone for what follows excellently. The slow building bluesy, California rock tinged effort is a really good way to get things started, the mellow opening 2 thirds of the track quickly drops into organised chaos for a rather confused yet brilliant ending. That sums Ziegler Co. up, you’re never quite sure what you’re going to get.

Every song that seems to come on the radio at this time of year is always prefaced by ‘This is the perfect summer tune!!!!!!’ well unless they are playing the next track ‘Slide’ then frankly they are wrong. The strong folk influence gives the track such a laid back feel it’s impossible not to imagine having this playing when you do your best to recreate the scene in your cider advert this summer. The chorus as the title of the song suggests slides along effortlessly and the chilled out guitar solo is first class, and with lyrics like:

Maybe she’s the type of girl who dances Rumba, tip tapping on the tiles of my dreams.

What’s not to like?

Gloriously languid ‘It’s Everywhere’ is a sort of blues/folk ballad hybrid, and continues the theme of sounding different to everything that went before it. The vocals are brilliantly understated and while for the most part being the focus of the track they don’t overwhelm it. Again I get the impression that I am going to waste many a summer afternoon with this song as my soundtrack.

‘Bad Men’ sees the summer cobwebs blown away as the tempo kicks firmly up a gear. It couldn’t be more different to the previous track and the rapid fire vocals are a real highlight. There are hints of rock n roll, indie and I’m sure you can also hear a slight nod to ska as well as the track bounces along.

As final track ‘Tourists’ winds its way into view all of the child like exuberance of ‘Bad Men’ is nudged to one side and the spellbinding seductiveness of this old school ballad takes over. It feels like a throwback to a bygone era, you just don’t hear songs like this anyone, and that is a crying shame. Again the song writing is great with the use of the brilliant phrase

The sun shines brightly like an uncle with dementia

The best way to listen to this song would be in total isolation, let it wash over you and get totally lost in it and you will reap the rewards trust me.

I have reviewed some brilliant music recently, spanning Europe, genres and all kinds of weird and wonderful styles but I have to say that this is one of the best projects I have had the pleasure of listening to. The musicianship is faultless, the vocals completely on point and the production spot on. There isn’t anything I don’t like, each track is different in style to the last but at no stage do the band sound like they have overstretched themselves, the whole EP comes across as effortless.

Roll Up is a triumph, beautifully preformed and beautifully put together. Ziegler Co. will probably never sell millions of records (I hope I’m wrong) but this EP will put a smile on the face of everyone who hears it and falls under its spell and to me that is what music is all about and what makes great records great. So I can’t describe Roll Up as anything else it is simply a great great record.