Rob’s Album Of The Week: The Z-Boys’ Elwood

Music can sometimes be a reflection of its surroundings. For example, the Deadhead culture of the ’60s started in the sunshine of San Francisco and the Seattle grunge scene began as a way to reflect on the rainy and dreary weather of the Emerald City. It only makes sense that Newport, Rhode Island’s marine atmosphere helped birth The Z-Boys and their complex surf rock sound. They have their debut LP, Elwood, being officially released on March 6 but it’s being premiered in this weekly review column today. There’s so much going on in terms of rhythm and structure that it’s absolutely infectious.

What makes The Z-Boys unique is how guitarist and vocalist Greg Burgess, drummer Ziggy Coffey and bassist Amato Zinno each come from different musical backgrounds. Burgess has spent most of his career dabbling in rockabilly from his time in The Amazing Royal Crowns and The Throttles. Coffey made a name for himself as the man behind the kit for the metal act Balam. Zinno has played jazz with Miss Wensday & The Cotillions, gothic folk with Vudu Sister and country garage rock with The Quahogs. This wide array of influences pushes the band’s artistic envelope to where their style is purely their own and it’s evident within the album.

As a fan of music, I love it when a band can’t be pinned down. When it becomes difficult to describe a certain sound in an…