When a friend of mine first introduced me to The Zutons back in early 2004 I was not hugely impressed. To me, Who Killedââ¬Â¦ The Zutons? sounded a little too much like their labelmates The Coral's Magic and Medicine and I went so far as to brazenly call The Zutons "a poor mans Coral." With the release of their second album, however, a reassessment is in order. What The Zutons appear to have discovered, in the interim between releasing their first album and writing their second, is the secret to creating infectious pop songs. It would be easy to think that in moving away from their initial more eclectic sound to something more commercial would be a bad thing for The Zutons, when in actual fact it's quite the opposite.
Tired of Hanging Around is bursting with sunshine and showcases a band who have become much more confident and assured in their sound. Lead single "Why Won't You Give Me Your Love" is a sexy, stomping number that you'll be happily humming for weeks to come. Likewise, lonesome "Valerie" is undeniably infectious. Even "You've Got A Friend In Me", sung from the point of view of a stalker, is surprisingly upbeat and bouncy. "Oh Stacey (Look What You've Done)" makes excellent use of saxophonist Abi Harding on another deceptively breezy tune. There really isn't a bad song to be heard.
Although this album may show improvement from The Zutons, it would be an overstatement to say that it's bringing anything radical or innovative to the music scene. Of course, this doesn't detract from the fact that Tired of Hanging Around is a decent, solid rock album. It is likely to appeal to both the casual listener and those who have been with the band from the beginning. This is just the right music for late Summer afternoons and will stand up to many repeat plays without overstaying its welcome.
