'Palm Tree Woman' by Zaruna

Available now, at the really generous "name your price" rate via Bandcamp, is the third album from Zaruna, ‘Palm Tree Woman'.

Their albums have come annually (check out 2023's ‘El Zaruna' and ‘Hula' from last year) which (unless you are Daffod'i'll putting out five a week) is good going these days. Nevertheless it says a lot about their zest for writing and sharing their songs that they suggested to me that they felt it had taken them a long time to complete it.

Well time & perception of it may be relative but given the number of singles they've been putting out, there have been few periods of any great length between Zaruna releases: in fact I admit keeping up has not always been easy.

Some of those recent songs we've reviewed are here: "Piss", "Heaven", "Cocoa Bango", "Indigo" and "Monkey News" to name but five. They are joined by: "J Bone", "King of the Worms", "Palm Tree Woman", "Finding My Name", "Barbecue at the Luau on a Friday", "Barren Lies", "John Candy" and "On Top of the Ocean": so not only is the album reasonably priced but you get plenty for your money.

Is it a concept album? Good question. There certainly is a strong theme running through which checks out contexts of a tropical island based nature: though starting with "Hawaii", the first track on their debut via "Singapore" on their second, the theme seems more career sized: albeit more apparent this time out.

That's an issue of commonality. However through this run of singles, so diverse have they been that I've already raised a speculative one regarding how they might sound in juxtaposition: let alone with new neighbours.

Well now we can move beyond conjecture to experience.

I do honestly fear sometimes that certain forces & tendencies in our evolving culture are reducing effective attention spans: content is being created in quite small, discrete packets. To this end, I do feel that artists releasing music in single & EP formats are doing so with greater expectation of everyone listening to the end than with say an album.

This is a terrible generalisation of course & the capacity for processing albums is still there for many. Historically sprawling, eclectic sets like ‘Sandinista!' or the ‘White Album' may have perplexed those wanting homogenous collections but sent messages to other listeners that here was a band who had varied interests and could play in a range of styles. I think that Zaruna will be appreciated by those with the latter mindset & breadth of vision. Guess which one I think is the more valuable audience for them to build.

I love how they obviously enjoy playing differently each time & abjure repetition. This to me is not just a band who shine today but have the attributes to go a long way forwards. If they ever got caught be a limited expectation (as unfortunately a few "one hit wonders" have been), then that would be something of a pity. If you can't detect this joy in the playing of the songs, then you are most unfortunate.

However, I had better put my hand up next as though I fervently stick by what I just wrote, I enjoyed the tracks I hadn't heard before so much that I found it hard to tear myself away from each to move on: left to myself I'd have been abusing the repeat button. As it is, you'll want to play this album time & again.

Yes: it's very eclectic & the faint hearted may be startled by the tonal changes between tracks but each is a cracker in its own right. If you  decide you have a favourite, then you have achieved something which is beyond me. There are far more than just five tracks on here which could be singles.

Sadly all artists get put into a box sooner or later: either willingly or otherwise. Zaruna seem happy with the broad descriptor of "alternative rock" which encompasses a lot & is as fair as anything could be in their case. Yet they also possess a fine pop sensibility: their songs hook you and reel you in.

Since their music is about as non-parochial as it gets (if anything the tracks seem set on the opposite side of the globe), there is no obvious reason for them not to be embraced anywhere and everywhere: their approach already has global elements to be found referenced. And plenty of humour too which always ticks a box my end.

How they work their magic is a little elusive: whatever their thoughts on their speed may be, their prolific output would seem difficult to reconcile with having loads of time to spend on each song: especially given the Higher Education factor which means substantial periods when they can't get together. Yet each one comes across as being the product of a labour of love. A lot of it too. They must make good use of their time. I hope you enjoy their efforts as much as I did.