Who Killed...... The Zutons? (2004)

Who Killed...... The Zutons? is the debut studio album by the English rock band the Zutons, released via Deltasonic on 19 April 2004.

Background and recording

The Zutons formed in early 2002; their line-up initially consisted of Dave McCabe on vocals and guitar, Boyan Chowdhury on guitar, Russell Pritchard on bass and Sean Payne on drums, with Abi Harding joining them sometime later on saxophone. They signed to Deltasonic, who were known for releasing the work of the Coral. "Devil's Deal", the Zuton's debut single, appeared in September 2002, and was followed up by "Creepin' an' a Crawlin'" in May 2003. For their debut album, they worked with producer Ian Broudie of the Lightning Seeds, who had previously worked with the Coral. Jon Gray served as engineer; the bulk of the tracks were recorded at RAK Studios in London, while "You Will You Won't" and "Long Time Coming" were done at Parr Street Studios in Liverpool. The NME reported that the band were finishing up the album in December 2003. Most of the songs were mixed at Elevator Studios in Liverpool, except for "Confusion", "Railroad" and "Remember Me", which were done at RAK. Ted Jensen then mastered the album at Sterling Sound at New York City. In August 2004, "Don't Ever Think (Too Much)" was recorded at Toe Rag Studios in London. Made with producer and engineer Liam Watson, The track was mastered by Noel Summerville at Transfermation, also in London.

Composition and lyrics

Musically, the sound of the album has been described as folk, garage rock and indie pop, rooted in blues rock. AllMusic reviewer Jason Damas compared the band's sound to that of their labelmates the Coral, "from their Love/Animals-influenced ruckus down to their Scouse accents". Exclaim! writer Cam Lindsay said the band "fus[ed] swampy blues, '60s psych-rock, offbeat folk and the timeless Liverpudlian pop hooks" of bands the Beatles, the La's and Shack. Gareth Gobson of Drowned in Sound thought that as the Zutons had a "decidedly darker heart than their current Liverpudlian peers", he considered a comparison to brothers John and Michael Head of Shack was more appropriate. Other comparisons were made to the work of Led Zeppelin, Traffic and Frank Zappa. Blender's Jody Rosen said they merged a "hodgepodge of influences (Dr. John, old-ska, trashy ’60s garage rock, Johnny Cash) with goofy B-movie atmosphere, then turn up the fuzztones". BBC Music reviewer Richard Banks wrote that McCabe "classes the band's sound as a 'soul-funk-voodoo vibe'" as highlighted in "Zuton Fever" and "Dirty Dancehall", "but touches of ska and country are also discernible". Prabjote Osahn arranged the strings, which were performed by Osahn, Stella Page, Amanda Drummond and Isabelle Dunn.

The album's opening track, "Zuton Fever", begins with a Spaghetti Western-type guitar riff; McCabe discuses bones, epidemics and having a fever. The subsequent saxophone and bass parts earned it a comparison to Eastern European folk music. McCabe said it was inspired by "Love Is an Epidemic" by the Ink Spots. "Pressure Point" is a garage boogie track, with doo-wop vocal harmonies, while McGabe's voice was reminiscent of Eric Burdon. NME writer Tim Jonze thought it "builds from an unhinged tribal warble into a screeching vocal meltdown". "You Will You Won't", which showcases McCabe's vocal range, evoked "Crosstown Traffic" (1968) by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Rosen called "Confusion" a "Nashville-on-Mersey weeper" akin to "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" (1968) by Otis Redding, featuring Stax-esque parts from Harding and a bicycle horn. The band said Deltasonic founder Alan Wills was not impressed with the song's chorus, prompting McCabe to re-write it later the same day. The song's saxophone part was initially planned to be played on guitar until it was changed.