Now Or Never is the first album from Cobra Zeno, and contains a rich blend of melodic electronica with a retro vibe. There is a mixture of styles on offer - from upbeat synth-rock to more ambient semi-acoustic tracks...


REVIEW:
What we have here is a dynamic synthwave / EM album from this project led by John Tillman and Danny O'Shaughnessy. It starts with “Storm” - a sound of thunder gives way for Tangerine Dream-like synth string / pads combination. A fast, steady rhythm starts, as we are propelled forward in a somewhat synthwave-cum-motorik fashion - a refreshing sound with a positive atmosphere. Nice main melody, too. “Breaking Away” tones things down a little - a relaxed rhythm drives this track forward, sounding like a mixture of a vintage spy film theme and the kind of EM style that was popular in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s (Andreas Leifeld, John Kerr and a few others come to mind). “Ash of Phoenix” relies too much on upbeat bass drum (the sort you would hear at a rave in the 1990’s) for my taste. The theme itself is synthy and positive. “Crazy Soup” starts with a hammond-like organ ditty. Then drums similar to those used on the opening track are added, as well as imitation distorted guitars. This is another strictly positive motorik / synthwave number. “Sakura Valley I” uses some sampled stringed instruments for a vaguely ethnic sound and overall it’s quite different to what this album offered up to this point. A relaxed rhythm completes the picture. “So Blue” is largely a return to the style of “Breaking Away”, which means a strictly 1980’s - 1990’s style music, slightly cheesy around the edges - I mean, this could be intro music to a lost 1991 TV series. “Fifteen Reason” continues more or less in the same vein, with an overtly optimistic melody, imitation guitars and a steady rhythm. However, there’s also a weirder Kraftwerkian touch to the synthetic rhythm. “Sakura Valley II” repeats the formula of “Sakura Valley I”, down to the melody (I think), so it’s more a reprise than a separate composition. “Europa” brings back the rocky rhythm and lush synth sound. This is a nice track to fans of synthwave and related musics. This is the best track so far, with a strong theme. It could have been longer. “Spectro” is another lush, rhythmic synth track, albeit more positive. A harder track in the form of “Temple & Shrine” is a nice change of pace, with its electro rhythm and melodic synthesizers. However, major harmonies continue to predominate, just like during the rest of this album. “Sakura Valley II” is different to the previous two installments in that it is more minimal, although featuring a similar combination of slightly ethnic-sounding stringed instruments and a slow, marching rhythm. “Black Star” is the upbeat techno closer which I find much more appealing than “Ash of Phoenix”. It’s also much heavier and has a slight touch of spacesynth in its choice of timbres. Overall, “Now Or Never” suffers a bit from the “compilation syndrome”. I don’t know if the tracks were actually recorded over a period of time but it sounds like it, and a bit more cohesion would not harm at all. Having said that, it’s a pleasant (and rather harmless) listen overall, especially for those sunny days and endless drives.

by Artemi Pugachov
24 September · Saint Petersburg, Russia