Xylophone Yacht Zombies just dropped a new 9-track album titled “Cromwell Avenue”, and once again they’re doing things their own way. The record has a strong personality. Slightly scattered in places, sure but it feels intentional, and honestly it works.
The production is where a lot of the charm sits. There are small, clever ideas buried in the arrangements that keep pulling the ear back in. Their sound has always been full, and that doesn’t change here. Layered guitars, busy drums, and melodies that hang around longer than you expect. Nothing sounds empty. Even the quieter moments have some weight behind them.
The album opens with “Hold The Line Boys! (1879)”, and it wastes no time getting moving. Big drums. Direct vocals. Immediate impact. “Bus Pass” follows with a nice burst of energy too. The vocal delivery has a bit of bite, and the rhythm section keeps things pushing forward without overdoing it.
“Go with the Flow” switches the mood slightly. There’s more variety in the instrumentation here, and the production choices give it extra depth on repeat listens. Then “Full Moon Tonight” steps in and shows the band tightening their focus. Stronger lyrical presence, confident melodic work, and a sense that they know exactly where the song is heading. It connects.
“Midsommar Song” pulls things back a notch. The vocals get more space to breathe, and the melodies come through clean and steady. It doesn’t try to do too much, which actually helps it land.
The final stretch,“March Madness”, “Piano Chill”, “Christmas Again”, and “Echo Guitar”, goes fully instrumental. Some bands fade out here. This one doesn’t. The energy stays up, and the run of instrumentals closes the album on a surprisingly lively note.
This is a playful but controlled release from a band that clearly enjoys exploring different corners of their sound. Not everything is polished smooth and that’s probably the point. We had a good time with this record!
ABOUT THE BAND:
Xylophone Yacht Zombies are a group of South London musicians with an eclectic view of Music. Steve Moore plays Guitar and Sings, Pete Eacott plays Lead Guitar and 12 string, Kevin Thorne provides amazing Keyboards, Mark Wheeler is our Bass Guitar and Steve Butcher provides amazing Drums, Saxophone and exotic percussion. Other mates to feature include: Tony Butcher ( Steve’s brother ) on drums, Colin Bartram on Drums, Snay Kai and Thought Thief all the way from the East End of London who are the stars of DARK ANGLE (the UK’s most intelligent Hip Hop crew – they do a spontaneous rap on the single LONDON TOWN) Also Owen Eacott on guitar. XYZ were born out the ashes of 1980’s cult band MAD ACID ENTERPRISE which was a song writing experiment based in Catford. It started in Kevins house where the Lowery Organ was a nice piece of furniture but one day his neighbour’s patience exploded and MAE were relocated to Mark’s flat, above a carpet shop in Sydenham. Blue plaques are expected in due course. Tracks were recorded at Antenna studios, Crystal Palace, Engineered by Stefan Inglis. Also at RMS Studios just behind Crystal Palace FC’s ground. The Yellow and Blue EP , Hawaiian State Flag EP , Bondi Tram EP and the latest CROMWELL AVENUE LP were recorded by Mark Dawson at the amazing Golddust Studios Bromley. XYZ are not really easy to label or classify as the songs all differ so much. Our problem is what genre should we be? You decide. Peace and Love XYZ
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