Rock Fever

Its tunes may not have you burning up the dance floor, but at the very least, British rock band The Zutons will have you grooving in your chair.

The Zutons were nominated for the "Breakout Act of the Year" Brit Award for its first album, "Who Killed … The Zutons." The band blends classic rock, funk and jazz to create a unique sound that fits perfectly with lead singer Dave McCabe’s mellow, soulful voice. He’s supported by Boyan Chowdhury on lead guitar, Abi Harding on saxophone, Russ Pritchard on bass guitar and Sean Payne on drums and percussion.

Don’t get the impression the band creates light, chill-out music, though. It has a punk feel with an un-punk sound — you feel like you’re listening to a punk record until you realize the singer isn’t yelling at you and no one’s told you to turn down the volume yet.

The band’s punk feel and classic-rock, jam-band mix would fit in at a party or in a coffee shop. The band isn’t overly aggressive, but "You Will You Won’t" and "Long Time Coming" are both solid jams that wouldn’t have seemed out of place on the radios in the ‘60s. It might remind you of the Rolling Stones or the Talking Heads if you devote a little thought to it, and "Pressure Point" will have you thinking of Led Zepplin.

"Havana Gang Brawl" and "Dirty Dancehall" are nearly danceable — especially if you’re familiar with the ska music scene. "Zuton Fever" is an addictive piece of work that you won’t mind having stuck in your head for a week — which easily will happen.

The music generally is light-hearted and each song has a unique sound that matches the lyrics flawlessly. Songs like "Pressure Point," where you can feel McCabe’s tension in the music, and "Not a Lot to Do," which feels like a lazy summer day are exactly what you’d expect them to sound like based on the titles.

The band’s lyrics don’t delve too deeply into social commentary. Also, there only are two songs that come close to being love songs — "Railroad" and "Confusion." Thankfully, neither become whiny or annoying. In some songs, the lyrics get a little dark, especially in "Nightmare Part II," but overall the band is up-beat in tone and style.

"Not a Lot to Do" and "Moons and Horror Shows" do slow down the pace of the record, but in them the band explores some country and soul sounds that aren’t as much fun as the rest of its music but are worth relaxing to.

It may be obvious by now, but The Zutons’ style is all over the place. Even with its cacophony of stolen genres, The Zutons have succeeded in creating a unique rock sound.