SEAZOO

On a grey and wet Tuesday evening in London you’d be hard pressed to get anyone out of the house, let alone dancing. Therefore what I witnessed on Tuesday 14th January, within the cosy walls of Highbury & Islington’s Buffalo Bar, must qualify as a (very) small miracle.

The youthful opening act Polar Beach reeked of potential and provided killer bass lines that set the evening up for a spinning turnstile of indie dance riffs, and Seazoo’s all too short set did nothing to disappoint. After a slightly shaky start, which might have had something to do with this being their fourth gig, the heavy edge that Seazoo give indie dance pop got seriously charming and held up until the final twang. Steffan’s distinctive vocal delivery sounded like a cross between Steve Harley and Gareth from Los Campesinos!, and when combined with harmonies from the drummer and synth player it warmed the room.

The band consisted of lead guitarist Dan, creating jumpy (but crunchy), tumbling lines over twee rhythm guitar chords (provided by Steffan), mind-bending synth player Llnos, a seemingly six-fingered bassist, and probably the happiest drummer I have ever seen; combining to produce joyous, distorted, Bell & Sebastian-esque indie. It’s worth singling out the synth lines as they’re used to great effect, with swooping Theremin sounds and humming foundation chords. The overall balance of the five-piece is also an achievement in itself, with no one thing scrambling to be heard over another; whether you credit that to the song writing or to the Buffalo Bar’s sound engineer is up to you. The components all just fit. As I said previously, there isn’t a huge amount of vibe often to be found on a rainy Tuesday evening but with grins and jittering guitars all round, they made summer feel a little closer.

Lyrically and melodically there’s a cyclical nature to the songs, reminiscent of Mountain Goats, while Dan’s guitar cuts through with the precision of the good old days of Weezer. The single, Dog Hotel, is a brilliant cross section of the band: lovely naughties guitar, touches of atonality, group vocals, bullfrog-mating-call bass line and spaced-out synths.

As they left the stage there was an enduring feeling of having been involved in five people having fun, making jokes and generally being lovely. In all seriousness, I could have danced all night.

Finn D'Albert
Read more at http://www.artrocker.tv/news/article/live-review-seazoo-buffalo-bar-london-14th-january-20141/#5JBh5h1xKKUAYeVP.99 - Artrocker

Things built up unexpected momentum when the Sesame-Street-does-Pavement genius of their debut recordings proved irresistible to radio (BBC Radio 1 / BBC Radio Wales / Amazing Radio / Steve Lamacq on BBC 6Music). I haven’t played anything on my humble show, in recent times, that has earned such an enthusiastic response from listeners. There’s just something incredibly uplifting and joyful, without getting close to being saccharine, about Seazoo’s music.

Maybe it’s the off kilter, Gorky’s-esque psychedelic undertones, or the notion that you’re witnessing the resurrection of Grandaddy, just in a box bedroom somewhere in Wrexham, that gives ballast to the joyful, dreamy sparkles of their unshakable melodies.

I’m not joking about the melodies being unshakeable.

Approach with caution if you have an allergy to earworms. These ones stick. Fast.

(Written by BBC Radio Wales presenter Adam Walton) - BBC

SEAZOO - NO WRENCHING OF GUTS THIS TIME

Seazoo are a relatively new name for me, but the North Walian three-piece certainly make a nifty first impression by recalibrating bookish power pop with doe-eyed boy-girl vocals that recall The Magic Numbers if they set their effects pedals to a setting somewhere beyond grizzled. The zippily titled No Wrenching Of Guts This Time was the pick of their rapid fire debut EP Ken, which both endeaeds and charmed, while hiding its awkward gaze behind its fringe. - Wales Online

Eigg was brilliant! To be asked by Lost Map Records to play alongside some really established acts, and in front of such a receptive audience, was truly an honour.

As soon as we arrived and read our writeup in the programme we knew we were going to fit in perfectly:

'SEAZOO - The good people of Wales are better at music than anyone else. That's not an opinion. That's melodic FACT. Seazoo know this - and, as such, they are contractually obliged to play only their very worst songs this weekend. Unfortunately for everyone else, their worst songs are still masterpieces. If the applause after each song execs 150db, a member of the band shall be shot in the leg.'

Cheers Johnny!

Luckily, we weren’t shot at and didn’t even see that much in terms of weaponry.

We played a great set! But we had no choice really, as the whole experience forced the best out of the band. It was an 800 mile round trip for a 30 minute performance so we had to put everything into the show. But actually, it turned out to be so much more than the half an hour on stage. We’ve made so many new friends in Scotland as a result of being stranded on a strange island with like minded music lovers and great musicians.

The crowd at the festival was by far the best we’ve played to, they were just up for a dance and a good time right from the first song. We had so many people come up to us saying how we were among the best bands of the weekend. But there was lots of whiskey knocking about so it could have been something to do with that we guess??

Unfortunately, Dan our guitar player couldn’t come, so we asked our friends Gulp for a helping hand. The Welsh Hendrix that is Stephen Goundry filled in for the end of the set. He only really had time to go through the tunes an hour before we played. What a hero!

It’s such a beautiful location. The waters are crystal clear, the views of Rum and Skye are stunning. The walk from the campsite to the stages was a lot like being on the set of Jurassic Park. We liked that. A lot.

Thanks to Johnny, Sarah and all the volunteers that made it happen. And hats off to the sound engineers as quite often bands ran until 6am! A solid performance by everyone! - BBC

Seazoo: Dog Hotel/Royal Tattoos (self released)
CD/DL
Out now
8.5/10

The good folks at Seazoo Lab, in Wrexham, appear to be working double time these days. Nat Lyon appreciates their efforts.

It seems like almost yesterday that I reviewed the July release of the Uncle Ken Remix. By all accounts they turned in a very tidy performance in late October at the Sŵn Festival- and the weekend coincided with the release of a new single, Dog Hotel b/w Royal Tattoos.

In their relatively short life as a “real” band (April 2013) – Seazoo have released a great first effort EP (Ken) and opened their work up to sonic experiments (the Uncle Ken Remix EP). Dog Hotel is another step forward – though at the rate they’re going it seems that Ben Trow and Llinos Griffiths are more accurately leaping forward (this time joined on drums by Seazoo Lab research associate Steffan Owens). Like the previous works, Dog Hotel is a complete DIY affair and with each new iteration the quality of Seazoo’s writing, music, and recording noticeably improve. Actually, Seazoo is starting to blow my mind more than a little.

The title track to the single, Dog Hotel, starts less frantically than most of the songs in the Seazoo catalogue. Ben Trow plays a combination of loose psyche rock riffs and choppy chords that are rich and sparkly. And when Llinos Griffiths steps in with the second vocal and keyboards you’re well into the hook and the song is hitting full stride nearly from the start. With a pretty minimal arrangement (guitar, bass, drums, keyboard), Team Seazoo shows builds a tight, up tempo, and very smiley melody without overdoing it. The lyrics are gauzy and abstract but the dog imagery looms large: “And have you seen him faithful by the gravestone? Collared to be well known yeah!”



The engineering is top notch for a home recording and the music matches perfectly. They’ve been doing they’re homework at Seazoo Lab and it shows. From this point forward, I’m never going to refer to Seazoo as home recorded again because with Dog Hotel they have turned in their lo-fi badge. Seazoo are now DIY pros of first order. Unlike the previous two Seazoo EPs, the sound is extremely smooth and each instrument is distinctive and joyfully played. Griffiths’s synth parts are minimal, yet integral to the sound of every song and her voice adds another dimension to the lyrics. The guitar tone is clean, and Trow applies non standard techniques rather than clichéd leads or pyrotechnics to bring additional interest to both Dog Hotel and Royal Tattoos. While Trow and Griffiths are both more than competent percussionists, the contribution here from Steffan Owens kicks these two songs up a notch.

The B side to the single, Royal Tattoos, is another great piece of pop and this is quickly becoming one of my favorites. There is a lot of subtlety and care in Seazoo’s arrangements and the dual boy/girl vocals make the lyrics sound especially heartfelt in this song about tattoos and identity, “We’ve got marks on our bodies, marks in our minds, yeah it’s marked on the family, markings to hide,” sums up the message, but the melody gives it a soft punch. While Royal Tattoos clocks in under two and a half minutes it has all of the proper, and wonderful elements that give Seazoo a distinctive sound. The first verse is less than 20 seconds long and then you are very gently launched into the lush pop chaos of the two part chorus.

If you liked Ken and Uncle Ken then you are in for an absolute treat with Dog Hotel. The lyrics use simple language to tell very not simple stories in less than three minutes. The vocals and musical performance create a quiet sense of urgency without panic and the melodies on this new single show that Seazoo is quickly, pleasantly, and quietly evolving. This is thoughtful, proper and smart pop (with a wonderful twist of the abstract) in the spirit of Yo La Tengo and Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci.

- See more at: http://louderthanwar.com/seazoo-dog-hotelroyal-tattoos-single-review/#sthash.hUQBBqto.dpuf - Louder Than War

Seazoo mash together some manic axes, some wah-wah-ing all over the shop and some recalling ‘90s grunge, thumping basslines, theremin-y synths, big beats, and crystal-clear vocals. It’s a haywire piece of pop gold that will ensnare your heart on first listen. - The Line of Best Fit

Name: Seazoo
Track name: Teeth
Hometown: Wrexham
Who? Llinos Griffiths (keys), Ben Trow (guitar/ vocals), Dan West (guitar), Mike Smith (bass) and Steffan Owens (drums).
Why now? The band release this track as one of Too Pure singles club seven-inches on 29 July. Plus they play Indietracks festival in Butterley, Derbyshire on 31 July.
Hear more: Facebook.com/seazooband - Q Magazine

Every weekday, DIY’s new music know-it-all Neu brings you one essential new release to get obsessed with. Today’s Neu Pick comes from Seazoo.

North Welsh bunch Seazoo waste no time getting straight to the bone. On ‘Teeth’, their latest single, they’re taking a big bite out of the sugariest treats in town.

Wrapped up warm in a blanket of fuzz, it’s the perfect turning of the seasons jam, on paper, all saccharine melody and hand-holding. There’s a darkness at play too, though – talk of “chewing through the bones in your arm” buried amongst the thick layers of upbeat melody. Keep an eye on this lot, for more reasons than one.

Set for 7” release via the ever-reliable Too Pure Singles Club, take a bite out of ‘Teeth’ below. Seazoo play Indietracks on 31st July. - DIY Magazine