Local H - Here Comes The Zoo

Reviewed by James VanOsdol

Scott Lucas likes to think of "Here Comes the Zoo" as Local H's Led Zeppelin 4. Ballsy? Perhaps, but let's discuss.

"Half Life". It's Local H's "Rock and Roll". Gritty and unapologetic. Love the line "Ya want it, they got it/It's just circumstance/You know they hardly ever give a leper a chance".

"(Baby Wants To) Tame Me". Slow building for maximum impact, not unlike "When the Levee Breaks."

"What Would You Have Me Do?" Best song on the album. The one that will define "Here Comes the Zoo", just like "Stairway to Heaven" did for Led Zeppelin 4.

"Hands on the Bible". Unorthodox song and beautifully unusual choice for second single. An attention-grabbing open to the album, a la "Black Dog".

Seriously though, what makes it easy to use Local H in the same sentence as Led Zeppelin is their commitment to rock. Local H is one of a handful of bands that deliver it without the ridiculous affectations (leather pants and pyro) and style-over-substance issues that plague much of what passes for rock these days. The purity in Local H's product is unquestionable.

Here Comes the Zoo is exactly the album Local H needed to make after the critically lauded Pack Up the Cats. It's real, it's tough, and it's smarter than its peers.

Bonus points for "5th Avenue Crazy", a driving song with Lolita/sugar daddy overtones which is Ebola-infectious.

James VanOsdol: 8/10

Brooke Hunter: 8/10

Steve Fisher: 8/10

Brian The Whipping Boy: 7/10