ZOOT WOMAN LIVING IN A MAGAZINE ALBUM WALL OF SOUND RELEASE: MAY 21, 2001 REVIEW: JUNE 13, 2001

Englishman Stuart Price, who worked his magic with electronica/house project Les Rhythmes Digitales, has recruited two brothers, Adam and Johnny Blake, to create an outlet for his more straight forward pop ambitions. The somewhat twisted name of the band, Zoot Woman, is not the only unexpected element in this constellation though. "Living in a Magazine" is a vivid, yet occasionally stale work, with roots in classic eighties synthpop, new wave and the more introvert soundscapes typical for Les Rhythmes Digitales.
The title track tickles my nostalgia nerve with a sound close to that of Heaven 17, just with a substantially better production overall. However, many of the tracks come off as just beautiful facades and together with the hilarious posing on the sleeve it makes me wonder where Zoot Woman's priorities lie.
Aside from "Living in a Magazine", "Information First" and both parts of "Nobody Knows" deserve extra attention. So does the mentioned cover image of this album, which would have been better suited for the vinyl format. Let us all pray for an idol poster in a near future.

NIKLAS FORSBERG