Zookeeper

I hate when solo singer-songwriters release music under band-sounding monikers, because it gets too fucking confusing. I still don't know whether the name Bright Eyes applies solely to Conor Oberst or to a band consisting of Conor Oberst and a couple other musicians. And don't even get me started about Wooden Wand. Or Five For Fighting. Seriously, go by your own name. That shit is way too complicated.

Zookeeper falls into that same abhorrent category, as it is NOT a band but rather the alter-ego of Chris Simpson of Mineral and The Gloria Record fame. Unlike his earlier emo leaning bands, Chris Simpson delves into the lush stylings of indie pop on Zookeeper's self-titled debut EP. Mixing a ton of interesting instruments, sounds, and musical genres, Zookeeper has created a disc full of intelligent, layered compositions and great melodic hooks that is strong from start to finish. All told the highlight is probably "I Live In The Mess You Are," an infectious little pop song with a country bent reminiscent Summerteeth-era Wilco.

[Myspace] Zookeeper
[mp3] "I Live In The Mess You Are"
[mp3] "Tax Collector"