Boston’s Zip-Tie Handcuffs have a name that doesn’t easily conjure an image of what they sound like. They probably like it that way seeing that their catalog of 5 previous albums covers “noisy street punk to heavy, fast stoner rock to sun-soaked psych rock n’ roll.”
‘Warm Shadows’ out July 6 on King Pizza Records is ZTH’s 6th record and ‘Restless Brain‘ might throw you further off the scent considering ZTH won Punk/Hardcore artist of the year at the Boston Music Awards as recently as 2015. This band wears a lot of hats!
Opening with a sultry lounge groove and dreamy Beach Boys harmonies, ‘Restless Brain‘ carries a perfect pop melody similar to what Smith Westerns was all about. You’d be forgiven for dropping Zip-Tie Handcuffs into the indie-pop pool on the basis of this track but that would be slapdash. There’s a psychedelic tremor lurking under the surface and you never know when it’s going to bust out. If it does at all. File this one under “sun-soaked psych rock n’ roll.”
It’s windows down, volume up for this one.