British musical duo Zero 7 is often closely associated with a laid back and serene lounge music sound that has gotten dangerously close to mood music at various points in the past — which is why their latest single, “On My Own” feels like such a departure for the group. Due out digitally and on limited edition 12” vinyl on August 26th via Make Records, this single (paired with B-side “Don’t Call It Love) finds Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker going for a depth of sound that they’ve never really approached before. Conjoining the easy going club sounds of their previous records with unexpected arrangements and vocals that effortlessly draw out the melodies hiding within the instrumentation, Zero 7 sound like a completely different band. It’ll be interesting to see if they continue on in this manner or fall back on the chilled-out vibes that automatically come to mind when the band’s name is mentioned.
When discussing these new songs, the band says: “Both tracks were written with singers we haven’t worked with previously. “On My Own” features Danny Pratt (AKA Danny Boy), a native of Canberra, Australia who we met in London last year. This is the first of a couple of songs we plan to release featuring Danny on vocals. We’re really glad to get this one out as we’ve been into for a while. On the flip, “Don’t Call it Love” is one of many tracks that we’ve co-written recently with the mysterious and benevolent singer/songwriter Tom Leonard from Los Angeles.”
Listen to A-side “On My Own” below.
