The Zolas blast off

A look at ‘Ancient Mars’

By Eric Wilkins, Staff Writer

5/5

Outstanding. Unbelievable. Exceptional. Awesome. Scrumptious. These were all words that I envisioned to describe the latest Zolas album prior to its release, and thanks to the brilliance of the quirky song writing duo of Zachary Gray and Tom Dobrzanski, I can carry on that line of thinking.

Ancient Mars (released October 2) is the Vancouver-based group’s second album, and, simply put, is out of this world. While most artists’ records typically contain several tracks of obvious chaff/filler, the Zolas’ follow-up to 2010’s Tic Toc Tic is a solid listen throughout. If there’s anything wrong with the album, it’s that it’s too short.

Moving into the music itself, it’s evident right off the bat that Gray and Dobrzanski were looking to experiment with creating a new sound for themselves. “In Heaven” is a decidedly heavier track than anything the group has previously put out, but is by no means an unwelcome offering. “Knot In My Heart” was released as a single before the album, and provides a clear contrast to the clean sound of Tic Toc Tic, featuring a strong dose of distortion for pretty much everything.

It’s difficult not to gush over each and every new tune, but if you’re just looking for a select track to add to your collection, be sure to give “Observatory” a listen. Ridiculously catchy and ridiculously good.