Share the post "Album review: ENUFF Z’NUFF – Finer Than Sin"
Frontiers [Release date: 11.11.22]
If there’s any band that just keeps on keeping on, it’s Enuff Z’Nuff.
The band has undergone enough line up changes to fill a Wikipedia page, yet the man who started it all, Chip Z’Nuff is still there, front and centre.
Finer Than Sin is the band’s 17th studio album. And we have to say it’s a bit disappointing to see the label’s PR focusing almost entirely on the band’s late 80s, early 90s releases.
Yes, they are a band with a past and an uncertain future, but Finer Than Sin, along with recent albums reviewed by GRTR!, Brainwashed Generation (2020) : “full of the band’s sonic signatures – unexpected chord changes and meticulously crafted hooks.” And Diamond Boy (2018): “designed to shift the commercial emphasis onto a new generation of rock fans,” are rock solid EZN releases.
The dark shadows in ZNuff’s music and lyrics always seem to prevail. His fragile, whispering vocals, on the very Beatlish anti drug song, ‘Catastrophe’ are very clearly aimed at the band’s now departed vocalist, Donnie Vie.
The atonal and discomfiting ‘Steal the Light’ is constructed using a similar blueprint. Not as strong melodically, but with the same barbed message and same target.
Elsewhere and on a brighter note, ‘Intoxicated’s beautifully descending bass line and satisfying chord shifts carry an elegant, heart stopping melody that would turn Cheap Trick’s head.
And then on ‘Disconnected’, ZNuff pushes his vocals into corners never before navigated. They’ve been criticised for not adapting to changes in the musical climate, yet their quite deliberate drift from powerpop into a harder rocking style seems to go unmentioned by the music press.
That said, The ‘Strawberry Fields’ era pop psychedelia of ‘Hurricane’, driven by synth strings and a sweet sounding harmonium, probably makes it the standout track.
This is not the best ever EZN album, but it’ll do just fine until the best ever EZN album comes along. ***1/2
Review by Brian McGowan
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.
Latest session: Sunday 14 April
Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio
David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 7 April 2024.
UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 2 April 2024.
How to Listen Live?
Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)
Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”
Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.
More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com
Power Plays w/c 15 April 2024
ENMY The Ledge (FiXT)
KAROBELA Get Hard (indie)
KATH & THE KICKS Neptune (indie)
THE BEE TELLERS River Poem (Black Sand Records)
LAUREN FREEBIRD Like A Bomb (indie)
Featured Albums w/c 15 April 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023
14:00-16:00 KATARINA PEJAK – Pearls On A String (Ruf Records)
To see our Tweets you need to be logged in to a Twitter account
Popular (last 10 days)
Share the post "Album review: ENUFF Z’NUFF – Finer Than Sin"
PDF - you can delete unwanted sections
