Review: The Green Zoo’s Multi-Faceted ‘The Adventures of Johnny Nihilist’
Idaho-based arts collective The Green Zoo portrays their art both in their theatrical performances and in their recorded works. The Green Zoo “strives to celebrate the subtle intricacies of the human condition while questioning their purpose and value,” and on their newest album The Adventures of Johnny Nihilist, we can see these values demonstrated through the masterful use of a variety of musical styles and techniques.
Before I picked The Adventures of Johnny Nihilist to review, I did the classic lazy move of just scrolling though the first few songs just to get the general “feel” of the album, liked what I heard, and went with it. Listening to the album in its entirety however, turned out to be a huge pleasant surprise for me. Ranging from instrumental distortion heavy riffs to chamber-pop-influenced tunes, The Adventures of Johnny Nihilist is certainly an album to experience from start to finish.
The highlight of The Green Zoo’s newest album being the three part experimental segments “Her Body In Freefall Parts I, II and III.” Part I starts off with fuzz and transitions the listener from a more chamber-pop sound found on the first half of the album to a new, more experimental instrumental direction. After a brighter build-up, Part I eventually fades into spooky territory, with some simple keyboard notes and haunting voices, transitioning nicely into Parts II and III, which also feature a variety of styles, moods and methods.
The Green Zoo is a unique collective of both theater and music. While listening to The Adventures of Johnny Nihilist, one can certainly hear the collective’s passion for both theater and experimentation, through their vast variety of sounds and moods expertly portrayed on this newest installment.
(The Adventures of Johnny Nihilist will be available to purchase when it’s made commercially available towards the end of June. Keep track of https://www.facebook.com/GreenZooMusic/?fref=ts for more information about the album. In the meantime, stream the advanced opening track “Johnny” below via SoundCloud.)
