Brooklyn-based pop-rock outfit Zoos introduces their debut EP, Cover Girl.
The band’s name, Zoos, captures the mental imagery the band wants to transmit to listeners: a big bash welcoming all shapes and sizes.
Influenced by artists such as Phoenix, The 1975, Foster The People, Bad Suns, and Coldplay, Zoos got together in 2018, when Mitch Meyer (guitar, vocals), and Frank Poma (bass) started collaborating on synth-driven alternative tracks. Not long after, Mitch added Horacio Martinez Michel (guitar, keyboards), a collaborator from a prior project to the lineup.
The threesome released a series of singles, including “All Wrong” and “Currents.” Then, near the end of 2019, Tom Corrado (drums) joined the band. 2020 saw Zoos perform at the Knitting Factory, Goldsounds, and Footlight. When the pandemic hit, Zoos used the downtime to work on their debut EP and construct their own recording studio in Brooklyn. Since then, they have shared the stage with the Winklevoss Twins’ band Mars Junction.
Embracing four tracks, Cover Girl begins with “Affection Machine,” opening on delicious dark colors riding a Jovian rhythm. Mitch’s low-slung, velvety tones infuse the lyrics with sensuous savors. Gleaming accents enhance the harmonics with luminous hues.
“Transition Period” features a finessed syncopated beat with a rumbling bassline atop as shimmering waves of lush pop-rock glide overhead. Radiant backing harmonies give the song depth and resonance. A piano-filled breakdown shifts the harmonic flow and then ramps up to swanky textures.
The title track emerges on resplendent suffusions, segueing into a potent rhythm topped by luscious wall-of-sound layers of coloration. Mitch’s smooth, dreamy voice imbues the lyrics with yearning flavors. “Cover Girl” offers contagious textures, the type listeners can’t shake off.
The final track, “Hideaway,” vaguely reminiscent of Christopher Cross, blends cashmere vocals with swirling synth hues into a delectable sonic gem, alluring and polychromatic.
Zoos have it going on! Cover Girl ripples with stylish pop-rock, infectious rhythms, and the glossy, bravura voice of Mitch Meyer.