Record Label: Whoa Oh Records
Genre: Pop Punk
Band Link: link
Buy on Amazon.com link

Pop Punk’s third wave continues to crest with the new Zatopeks CD. Like many of the great bands in the Whoa Oh camp, The Zatopeks are harmony-inclined with Beach Boys-ish background vocalizing and clean-cut squarishness. What sets them apart though are the warbly cockney accent, which throws in a Buzzcocks/Undertones vibe, and the sometimes-political lyrics, a rarity in pop-punk. Both attributes reflect some serious British bite under the harmless 1950s Americana veneer.

The album starts off great with four awesome, peppy, hand-clapping tunes. It then takes a dip with a too-quiet and middling ballad (“Picture Postcards”) and an atrociously simplistic slow shuffle about media lies (“Daily Mail”). It picks up again with “I Don’t Want the Airwaves,” “Culture of Control,” and “Ship To Go Down With,” but other lengthy ballads like “Courtyard Blues” and “Song for Nina Simone” trip up the pace.

Still, out of 14 tracks, 7 are excellent, another 3-4 are pretty good. It’s a keeper.

Bottom Line:
Notable Tracks: 15 Ta Life, Drive-By Love, Ship To Go Down With
Overall Rating: