Here Comes the Zoo
Here Comes the Zoo gives Local H's two-person rock sound a heavier, busier rhythm. Scott Lucas' guitar and voice remain the main point of connection, while Brian St. Clair's drums add force and movement around them. The record has several excellent passages, particularly at its beginning and end. The complete set is less focused, with weaker songs interrupting the stronger performances.
Hands on the Bible makes an effective entrance. The singing begins with restraint before the instruments and voice grow more forceful, giving the ending a clear sense of release.
Son of "Cha!" and Bryn-Mawr Stomp bring the harder playing further forward. St. Clair's active drums give the guitars a strong response, helping the quicker material stay lively. Creature Comforted also makes good use of the band's ability to combine a rough performance with an accessible hook.
Half-Life and (Baby Wants To) Tame Me place the melodies in a more openly pop-influenced setting. The latter gives the drums room for a steadier approach, showing another side of the duo's playing. These songs broaden the album, even if their lighter direction is not always as distinctive as the more direct rock material.
The long closing What Would You Have Me Do? is the most ambitious piece. A forceful song gives way to a passage led by drums before guitars and fragments from earlier tracks return. The extended ending makes a convincing attempt to draw the record together.
Not every song contributes as much. Keep Your Girlfriend feels less essential, and the variety of approaches leaves the sequence less coherent than its strongest sections. The busier sound can also make the album feel heavier without making the writing more memorable.
Here Comes the Zoo remains worthwhile for its dynamic playing and its strongest songs. Local H give the duo format enough range to sustain more than a straightforward set of riffs. A tighter selection would improve the whole, but the opening and closing performances provide clear reasons to explore it.
