Zugzwang - Flu

One of the best parts about my local scene is that it can be so diverse in sound. I've been to shows featuring blues rock back-to-back with psychedelia and hardcore bands. Singer-songwriters regularly share the same bill as prog-metal and punk artists. What's more, so many of these acts are creating their own genres, taking aspects of their varied surroundings and shaping a sound we've never heard before. And excuse my language, but that's fuckin' exciting. 

Which brings me to this act. Zugzwang are a three-piece CT band that blends catchy with aggression—punk instrumentation overlaid with addictive melodies. They’ve got a perfect blend of intellect and attitude that really sounds like no one else. I’ve been hooked since their demo dropped in 2015, and their latest EP Flu hits like a haymaker. 

Zugzwang’s sound is persistent and pounding, like an ex with a bone to pick. The vocals are frustrated, each note on the brink of a breakdown. The instruments cohere to one another, each punch of the kick followed by the ringing of the bass guitar, the rhythm section backing a guitar laden with color tones and sickly-sweet melodies. Yet the band refuses to fall into a rut even across these four songs: “Stuck” steadily bangs its head against a wall while “4th of July” flaunts slash beats and speedy palm mutes. Each song has its own feel and flavor, mixing catchy hooks and grinding riffs that are too damn accessible to exclude even the most pompous of music fans.

For all its primal punk energy, Flu is also extremely danceable, no track more so than the lead single “Getting Through.” The band launches full-force into a riff that is both groove and grit, led by a viciously delicious bassline that runs the entire neck of the instrument, while the drums get hit so hard that I'm surprised we can't hear the heads breaking. The vocal is searing, yearning for more, begging to get beyond an existence that is at best unsatisfactory and at worst unbearable. More than any track on Flu, “Getting Through” repeatedly gets caught between my ears to linger all day long (and believe me, I’m not complaining). 

 

Whether you are nauseated by the sterile state of radio or just looking to dig some infectious grooves, Flu holds your antidote, a record that refuses to sit comfortably in any one sound or genre. Zugzwang’s music is proof that CT has a ton to offer, that there is sincere and exciting creative force bottled up in this state, just waiting to be released. So don’t sleep on this record, on this band, on this scene—for their sake, and for yours. 

My top track: “Stuck” 

You can find more from Zugzwang, including upcoming live shows and news, on Facebook. Then grab your own copy of Flu at their Bandcamp page.