Zatopeks – Loitering And Sauntering

I have to be absolutely honest here, and say that Zatopeks is a new name to me, it always amazes just how many bands still run under the radar, even after nearly 50 years of listening to specifically (but not solely) punk music, there are bands that still pop up and surprise me. It even took a good hard trawl of the interweb to actually find a tiny bit of info on this 70’s punk influenced band. Formed back in 2001, three studio albums to their name, now this August release, and played Manchester Punk Festival this year, that, apart from the PR for this latest album, is about all I can tell you, so lets let this storming new slice of nifty melodic punk wonderfulness do the rest of the talking. 

Loitering & Sauntering is it’s name and to be fair it doesn’t actually do a lot of that musically or lyrically, but I suspect the title is more of a general idea of hanging around listening to what’s going on in the world, then ambling off to make songs that describe what was observed or heard (just my humble opinion, don’t shoot me if I’m wrong). Into the album we go now, it kicks off in style with the song ‘Hotel Mile’ a shot over the bow of those who have made this world a place of consumerism and landlord led, it’s sung in a wonderfully upbeat way, but as most of the Zatopeks songs, its like The Toy Dolls meets The Clash a sense of fun in the way its played and sung, but with that fully informed and knowledgable social and political mind front and centre of the lyrics.

Punk kicked off arguably back in the mid seventies, so why keep to this style of music, especially the more melodic side of the genre for a band thats only been going since 2001, well why not, this is music that gives you a reason to listen, its also stitched together with some true 50’s Rock n Roll, and all this wrapped around some straight up hard talking politic lyrics. Songs like the ear worm ‘Its A Fine Sunny Day’ which has such an amazingly beautiful way of looking at death. The heaviest sounding on the album ‘Central European Time’, which sounds like an overnight train journey from gig to gig and what’s been observed in that dazed state, is followed by the some what doo wop sounding banger ‘Blueprint For An Unlived Life’ this is probably the most depressing song lyrically, but to sit this within a 50’s style ballad is just genius.  

As you may have noticed this isn’t just a straight up punk album, its got 70’s melodic punk at its heart as pointed out earlier, but to mix this with whatever suits the song or mood is what sets this so far apart from its predecessors, throwing some ska into ‘At The Stadium’ which has the same sentiment as Ghost Town but in modern times, is nothing short of clever clever clever.  To sum this album up in words, has as you may have realised, has been really difficult, its throws you from pillar to post, it’s drive is to take whats been observed and then try and put this across in a way that nothing will be lost or forgotten within the music, to this end, its a masterclass in how to achieve this, songs that all perfectly marry music with thought and entertain for every second.   

Don’t skip past this album because this write up doesn’t quite do it, go listen and then thank me for telling you to!! Punk Rock for the sound of mind, big of heart and lover of music. You don’t need this in your life, you deserve this in your life!!

Don’t just stand there reading, go get yourself listening and buying. BANDCAMP FACEBOOK Stardumb Records Out August 8th.