Zykos
(Post-Parlo) Zykos is still a young band, having only been in existence a couple of years. In that short span, however, the Austin sixpiece has crafted an indie sound distinctively its own, resulting in 2003’s compelling debut Comedy Horn, and now an incredibly mature second album, one that has them poised on the brink of something big. Anticipation crackles throughout this eponymous release. You can hear it in tense opener “Mrs.,” singer Mike Booher sneering and growling about mealy-mouthed co-dependents and apathetic losers in front of the TV. It’s there in Jerod Cykoski’s drumming and Catherine Davis’ silky keys on “George Eliot,” the tale of a bored scenester cruising through the nightlife. “Dark Tan” starts off reflectively, Davis leading the charge with a slow intro. Things heat up soon enough, as Booher spins another tale of the disenchanted hipster until the whole thing resolves itself in a quietly intense crescendo. It’s “Understanding Fire,” though, that’s the album’s standout track. Davis and Cykoski again mine the tension between drums and keys while Booher and Jarod Harmeier tear through that tension with guitars. It’s a perfect example of Zykos’ “wall of sound,” and it only gets better when performed live. The group wraps things up on a quiet note with “Save Up,” a slight disappointment after the last explosion of sound, but it’s short and sweet, unlike, one hopes, this band’s career.
This article appears in October 8 • 2004.