Reviews
Zatopeks - Ain't Nobody Left But Us
by Dan Claydon on 20050915
When I got my hands on a copy of Pickled Dick’s Panda-Moanium I was convinced I had the UK pop punk album of 2005 in my hands. After stating this to a friend he rather confidently suggested I check out a band called the Zatopeks from the midlands. Now, being all web-savvy an’ that I had a listen to one of two of their tunes. My oh my! My ears were treated to Lookout Records style punk with a distinctly 50’s feel to it brimming with pop hooks that would have ya nan humming them (and probably nicking your CD while she’s at it too).
Imagine if the Ramones sounded a bit more clean cut and were formed two decades ago in the era of diners and Buddy Holly then you’d be on the way to understanding what the Zatopeks are about. Some of them even look like (by their website’s admission) Mr Holly’s grandchildren! The songs cover subjects such as love, fighting, being drunk, and erm… executed members of the White Rose resistance group (from WWII) and they’re sung in such a way that almost every chorus is stuck in your head after the first listen.
There’s not much left to say so I guess it’s time to sum up: ‘Ain’t Nobody Left But Us’ is an album with 14 tracks that dispel the myth that modern pop punk needs to sound like Blink 182 or anything Drive Thru Records might associate themselves with and although not essentially new it is certainly refreshing and for that it deserves your attention.
Rating out of five: 4