This came out in 2004 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
With its whimsical title and comic-book cover art, Who Killed … The Zutons? looks like a throwback (or at least an homage) to the cartoonish, edgy new wave of the early ’80s.
Actually, it’s proof that looks really can be deceiving. The Zutons, as it turns out, hail from the same Liverpool musical pool that spawned The Coral, with whom these lads share an obvious affection for the jangly ’60s Sunset Strip rock of folks like The Seeds, Love, Flo and Eddie and The Byrds. Thankfully, on this decent debut, The Zutons distinguish themselves from the competition by casting their net further and wider — incorporating honky saxophones to give their music a bit of jazzy skronk, flirting with country and reggae to broaden their sonic template, and channeling the wry wit and yelpy vocals of The Kinks’ Ray Davies. Granted, it may not blow you away. But at least it won’t make you want to blow them away.
