Album Review: Queen Zee – Queen Zee
Queen Zee – Queen Zee
Released 8th Feb 2019
Words – Nick Jacques
The first thought that came to me when I saw a picture of this band was “erm, they’re from Liverpool??” because they really don’t look like they are, but in a good and positive way, obviously. Queen Zee look like they have been plucked from the 80s and thrown into a time machine and have ended up in 2019! and we’re all the better for it if you ask me.
Their debut record oozes with swagger and attitude just like their image shamelessly points out. Their brand of glam punk pop comes as a much-needed injection into a genre that needs more than just a nip and tuck. It gives it a whole new lifeline!
This couldn’t be more evident than in the good-time, fist-pumping pop punk vibes of the leading song Loner – it reminds me of the classic track from a previous era Born To Lose by Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers – not a shabby comparison to make by any means.
Throughout this self-titles album from Queen Zee there is a strong sense of camaraderie which in turn forms the foundations for a solid group effort. You can just imagine the sweat and guts pouring out of every orifice in the studio. This is a band that are definitely pulling in the same direction and this evident from the first to the last
Lucy Fur shows their venomous side and is probably my highlight on their brazen and brawly debut. Although, occasionally, for all their swagger and entertaining glam punk theatrics, it can seem a bit uncomfortable at times, notably on Porno, but I’m sure that this would barely register their attention due to the carnage they would surely serve up on stage.
Idle Crown is another stomping tune that grabs you and tries to yank your ears off in the process. The middle part is filled with a cool lead guitar hook that adds to the shape of the song seamlessly.
There are influences throughout – I get the impression that they are flaunting several nods of appreciation to bands like New York Dolls, the 70’s glam punk scene, Backyard Babies but deliver the vocals have a with more abrasive edge. Hunger Pains is a prime example of this.
There is not much pause for breath until we reach Anxiety which is a short and reflective piece before it launches again into a higher gear with I Hate Your New Boyfriend and plays with all the same gusto and esteem just like the rest of the album.
This is a debut record to wake you up from the January slumber and give you a slap across the chops (figuratively) and bring you crashing into 2019.
Their UK tour begins on 10th Feb fittingly at the awesome Jacaranda Records Phase One in Liverpool.
