Saul Zonana
Guinea Pigs (2002)

review by: Michael Walls
Date: 11/6/02

As of late I've had a tendency to compare recent artists to the works of Willy Porter. Which is fairly useless for comparison purposes for the general reading public, because as far as I can tell Willy Porter is just as obscure as the artists I'm comparing.

What I think it may be, is a trend that is emerging in independent music that can only be described as intelligent, adult, alternative pop. We've seen it in the success of artists like David Gray, Martin Sexton, Elliott Smith and Freedy Johnston. Singer/songwriters that build their music around simple melodic hooks and let their vocal styles and storytelling lyrics make up the meat of their tunes.

And this generic description fits the style of music that Saul Zonana is offering. Almost.

Zonana does remind me of Willy Porter, which is good, because I'm a big fan of Porter. But there's something slightly different, or slightly "off" about Zonana. He's got a strange streak.

Don't get me wrong, and don't be scared. Zonana's got all the ingredients of a radio popster. The catchy melodies of songs like "Bette", "Fool On A Bicycle", and "I'm the One." The interesting rhythms and vocals on songs like "The Same" and "Pour". And even the heartfelt sincerity of songs like "Afraid of Dying" and "Joel's Song."

But somewhere, deep, there is a chemical imbalance. An album called – Guinea Pigs? Guinea pigs are strange little creatures. Are they swine? Or are they rodents? And why have one featured on your album cover? Next, the song called "Bette." Hmmm…a catchy, fun tune about a girl named Bette? After several listens (and a peek at the liner notes) you'll soon discover "Bette" is actually an inflatable doll…

Zonana obviously has a deep rooted sense of humor and enjoys wordsmithing as much as he enjoys singing and playing most of his instruments. For those interested in talented artists who write intelligent, catchy music – Saul Zonana may be someone you should be listening to.