With their highly successful “Get Wet” album peaking at number eight on the Billboard Top 200 list, big things were expected from Krewella for their subsequent sophomore album. While it took over six years to come to life, the new album “zer0” has finally arrived. It is definitely a deviation from their first LP, so if that is what you are expecting then you should pass on this album now. After the nasty breakup with their former member Kris Trindl, aka Rain Man, and the seemingly unending hate that came with it, Krewella has firmly set their feet on what they’re all about.
This album has a distinct sound, giving me memories of being on the Santa Monica pier with a beer in hand. The title track “zer0” pours its heart out, with a message of longing for more in this bleak world. The backbeat of the song played chords very similar to what I hear from ODESZA. Things liven up a bit with “Mana“, which provides some of the heaviest drops of this album. Following is “Good On You“, a poppy song mixed with a Middle Eastern backdrop.
The fourth song in, “Anxiety“, I felt on a personal level. With lyrics like “some people are allergic to sobriety,” this rebellion song against life makes a statement for those suffering in existential dread. It also features one of the better collabs of the album, with Arrested Youth nailing the bridge. “Paradise” and “Like We” both contain a Latin feel, sprinkling in a bit of Spanish throughout. I struggled with “Scissors“, finding it somewhat bland until it hit a mean drop midway with the chorus.
If you are needing some more Drum ‘n’ Bass, the breakup song “Ghost” will get you there. The continuing angst felt early on in the album is brought to its peak in the next two tracks. While “Marytr” tries to do something deep and meaningful with electronic lyrics that slowly build, the song just never seemed to get there. “Overboard” continues the theme, but provides a bit more variation in its highs and lows. The album concludes with the previously released single “Greenlights“. This song gets things flowing with a mainstream sound and an uplifting message.
Unfortunately, I could not get past how much of a divergent “zer0” was compared to their previous album. Krewella was obviously going for something different, but it was a bit too much for me. If you stand the album on its own legs, it does very well. It is a broody, hold-nothing-back adventure that is the accumulation of the adversity that has led them here, while still showing there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Going in, though, expectations need to be set that this is a new Krewella. If you can handle that, then go ahead and give this a shot.
To promote their new album, Krewella will be on tour during April and May of 2020. Click the flyer below for more details!
*Krewella at Djkarta Warehouse Project Image Via Rukes*
